Graham Hunter’s view
Whether this season of remarkable discoveries (Pedri, Ilaix Moriba, Ansu Fati) and remarkable evolutions (Frenkie De Jong, Oscar Mingueza, Ronald Araujo and Ousmane Dembele) has been enough to convince Messi to stay at Barcelona is a hot topic. And a confusing one.
Is he keen to leave? No. Will his family be a big influence in what happens next? Yes. Perhaps not an outright determining factor, but if Messi were convinced that he’s about to be paid what this debt-ridden club can genuinely afford in order to retain his services, and if he were convinced that there was the will, plus the budget, to reinforce two or three positions where the Blaugrana squad is “short,” he’d likely have announced his intention to stay already. But the Camp Nou financial situation is so precarious that he isn’t yet sure.
My best guess? 60-40 he stays, but the 40% isn’t to be discarded, After all, Messi has been doing “against the odds” things his entire career.
