Lionel Messi wants to leave Barcelona: 10 potential destinations

Manchester City, PSG and China put on red alert after Argentine tells club he wishes to leave on a free transfer

MANCHESTER CITY: Relations between Lionel Messi and Barcelona are at an all time low following the club's record scorer submitting a request by fax stating he wishes to leave - on a free transfer. According to reports, an initial meeting between new coach Ronald Koeman and Messi did not go well, with the Dutchman telling the Argentine his privileges at the club where revoked. A reunion with former Barca mentor Pep Guardiola at City would seem an ideal fit, with the club's Abu Dhabi owners able to match both Messi's wage demands and his ambitions. The man with more than 700 goals to his name could be the missing piece of the puzzle that takes City to Champions League glory. EPA

ARGENTINA: The romantic option would be for Messi to head back to Argentina and rejoin his hometown club in Rosario, Newell's Old Boys. Messi has regularly stated he would ideally love to play for his boyhood club Newell's again before he retires but has also added that security concerns over the safety of his three young children would leave him reluctant to make that move in the current climate. EPA

ITALY: Despite their domestic dominance, Juventus again came up short in their quest for their own Holy Grail in the Champions League. While no one doubts Cristiano Ronaldo has been a success in Turin, the club are reportedly touting him to European rivals including Barcelona. Is there a parallel universe where Ronaldo and Messi swap clubs, and could it become a reality? AP Photo

FRANCE: Neymar left Barcelona in 2017 determined to step out of Messi's shadow and prove he could be the best player on the planet. The Brazilian came close to a move back to Camp Nou in the summer of 2019, with Messi said to be pushing for his fellow attacker's return, before the move broke down. Could Messi and Neymar be reunited in Paris? Or will PSG jettison their Neymar experiment to lure Messi? The French champions are one of few clubs who can match the Argentine's exorbitant wage demands, but will the challenge of Ligue 1 excite him? AFP

PREMIER LEAGUE: Messi is known to be a big fan of the Premier League, and national television network Cuatro claimed on Tuesday that Manchester United are making a serious attempt to lure the Argentine to Old Trafford. While Messi and his representatives believe he is entitled to a free transfer, the Spanish giants say that detail of his contract expired at the end of May and that they are holding him to his €700 million release clause. While no club is likely to trigger that, horse trading of several young players - Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford or Paul Pogba spring to mind - could bring Barca to the negotiating table. AFP

SERIE A: Inter Milan are desperate to end Juventus' iron grip on the scudetto and club president Steven Zhang has reportedly already held talks with Messi's representatives even before the Argentine faxed in a transfer request on Tuesday. Several reports indicate that, should Messi move to San Siro, Lautaro Martinez, Inter's own Argentina international who at 23 is 10 years Messi's junior, will make the opposite move to Camp Nou. AFP

MLS: Every club on the planet would love to have Messi if they had the finances, but few have the clout. If a move to Major League Soccer is considered then linking up with David Beckham's new Inter Miami FC franchise would seem a good fit. AFP

QATAR: Barcelona legend Xavi has advised the board to do 'all they can to make Messi happy', which seems to have been roundly ignored. The former Barca midfielder, who acted as supplier in chief for a good few Messi goals during their time as teammates, distanced himself from the coach's job following Quique Setien's sacking, perhaps anticipating the malaise that was to follow. Now in charge of Qatari club Al Sadd, the lure of playing under Xavi - perhaps with a long-term view of following him back to Catalunya one day - could come into Messi's thinking. AFP

JAPAN: Former Barcelona teammates Andreas Iniesta and Sergi Samper are already on the books at Japan's Vissel Kobe and a move to the J-League could appeal to Messi as he looks to wind down his career. Reuters

CHINA: For a man whose annual salary is a reported £26 million, money may not be the motivating factor in any move for Messi. If he were to follow the well-trodden path of European and South American players and head to the Chinese Super League, it's probably fair to say he won't be taking a hit in the pocket. AFP

Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi told Barcelona he wants to leave - on a free transfer - in a "bombshell" fax on Tuesday that is expected to trigger a legal battle over a buy-out clause worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Signalling the end of an era at Barcelona, where Messi is the record scorer and has won four Champions League titles, the disgruntled Argentine wants to terminate his contract "unilaterally" by triggering a release clause.

The news is sure to put any club with the financial clout to put together a tempting package for a player who has scored more than 700 goals for Barca and Argentina on red alert.

Above is a picture gallery of potential destinations. To move through the gallery, simply swipe or click on the arrows.