Former FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has revealed that an unnamed club was prepared to trigger Lionel Messi’s €400 million release clause in 2017.
Bartomeu said the situation arose shortly after Neymar completed his high-profile transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.
According to him, Barcelona acted swiftly to secure Messi’s future by offering him a new contract, which included an increased release clause of €700 million.
He explained that the club moved to prevent any potential transfer, noting that if a club could pay €222 million for Neymar, it was possible they could also meet Messi’s €400 million clause.
Bartomeu added that Messi agreed to the renewal in November 2017, describing his salary at the time as reasonable given his immense contributions both on and off the pitch.
The revelation highlights how close Barcelona may have come to losing one of the greatest players in its history during a turbulent transfer period.