One of the greatest mysteries in football history has returned to the spotlight. Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu revealed that a fantastic offer was once made for Lionel Messi.
In an interview with Spanish media, Bartomeu stated that an unnamed club was prepared to pay 400 million euros for the Argentine superstar.
This event took place in 2017, after Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for 222 million euros. That transfer remains the most expensive deal in football history.
According to Bartomeu, after Neymar's departure, one of the European giants began a major effort to acquire Messi as well.
"One club offered 400 million euros for Messi after Neymar left. I won't say which club it was, but it wasn't Manchester City. We then met with Leo and his father. After that, we started thinking about increasing his release clause," said the former president.
This statement sparked great interest among football fans, as many at the time speculated that Messi might join Manchester City. However, Bartomeu denied this version.
Experts believe that if the 400 million euro transfer had gone through, it would have become the biggest deal not only in football but in the entire sports industry.
However, despite all the discussions, Lionel Messi preferred to stay at Barcelona at that time and defended the colors of the Catalan club for several more years.
The Argentine star only left Barcelona in 2021 due to financial problems and the situation within the club. Later, he moved to the French club Paris Saint-Germain.
Interestingly, the fact that the club's new president, Joan Laporta, canceled the new contract prepared for Messi also caused significant controversy.
Football fans are still pondering one question: how would football history have changed if that 400 million euro transfer had taken place?
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
