Chelsea Billionaire owner, Roman Abramovich, is now reportedly trying to sign Lionel Messi after Barcelona announced this week the superstar player will be leaving the club.
According to reports, Abramovich is said to have ‘requested an urgent meeting’ with Messi’s representatives.
On Thursday, August 5, Barcelona announced that Messi, 34, will leave the club after 21 years, as they will not be able to renew his contract due to financial regulations in Spain.
It means Messi is now a free agent, with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in pole position to sign him.
However, PSG may not be able to meet his wage demands and City have just spent £100million on Jack Grealish, while also in pursuit of £150m Harry Kane.
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According to the reputable AS in Spain, Abramovich has ‘set his eyes’ on Messi and ‘requested an urgent meeting’ with his team.
The Blues are in the market for a new attacker with Erling Haaland a major target at the start of the summer.
Haaland is now set to stay put at Borussia Dortmund, with Chelsea switching focus to Inter’s Romelu Lukaku.
However, the surprise news about Messi’s sudden availability has now made Chelsea switch focus with the report claiming Chelsea are continuing negotiations for Lukaku while exploring the possibility of signing Messi.
The report also suggests a move to France is ‘almost impossible’ due to high taxes and the club’s need to reduce their wage bill.
It has been speculated that Messi may prefer a move to City, where the legendary forward could link up with former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola. But Chelsea’s new interest could now change the direction because Chelsea is in a stronger financial position to sign Messi.