This is what will happen at Barca if Messi leaves

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric, has stated that Barcelona can succeed without Lionel Messi, as Real Madrid had to do the same thing after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The one-time FIFA player of the year believes other Barcelona players will mature and fill the void if Lionel Messi exits the club.

Messi has been pushing for an exit from Barcelona, and Modric feels other players will mature and fill the void that the Argentine would leave behind.

“It would be a huge loss. Like when Cristiano left. But you can’t think about the past. It’s football and that’s it,” Modric told AFP.

“If it happens it will be a huge loss for the prestige of the league. But we need to go forward. Other players will become stars.

“When Ronaldo left, the same thing happened, the life of Real Madrid went on without him and it will be the same for Barcelona and La Liga without Messi.”

Meanwhile, Messi’s father, Jorge and Barcelona failed to reach an agreement over the 33-year-old’s exit, which means he remains a part of Ronald Koeman’s squad.

Manchester City has already made it clear they will hand over if there is eventually a legal battle. City will also not be able to afford a fee of more than €100m, with Messi expected to demand a mammoth salary.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner is attempting to activate an expired clause in his contract and wants the expiration date adjusted because of the Coronavirus pandemic.