The FC Barcelona superstar is reportedly fed up of what he perceives to be a campaign to persecute him, with the Argentine once again scheduled to appear in court to defend charges of alleged tax fraud.
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Lionel Messi has gone on to dominate La Liga and world football since making his d but in 2004, and his name has become synonymous with that of FC Barcelona over the past decade. Surprisingly then, reports in Spain suggest the Argentina international is considering a move away from Spain.
Messi will reportedly be asked to stand trial over allegations of defrauding the Spanish government by failing to pay taxes relating to his income from image rights. Although no specific date is mentioned, the Barcelona attacker has reportedly grown weary of the perceived persecution against him.
Messi considering a move away from Spain
Spanish radio station Cadena COPE claim Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is considering a move away from Spain in the final years of his career in light of further charges against him in relation to unpaid taxes.
Leo Messi contemplating finishing career outside of Spain due to constant tax problems[Cope] http://t.co/Ho8iqF84Td pic.twitter.com/id7x4crOrS
a 101 Great Goals (@101greatgoals) October 15, 2015
This battle with the Spanish tax authorities started all the way back in 2013 and shows no signs of relenting. If found guilty, Messi and his father could face up to 22 months in prison, and the 28-year-old reportedly feels he is being persecuted and that there is a conspiracy against Barcelona — specifically against him.
The report also states that the negative publicity hasn’t diminished Messi’s desire to return to action as soon as possible, but that is likely to be after the next international break, during which Argentina take on Brazil and Colombia in two huge World Cup 2018 qualifiers.
Move away from Barcelona extremely unlikely
Over the years, Lionel Messi has become something of an institution — an inextricable part of the identity of FC Barcelona. The Catalan giants are unlikely to give up the best player in their history (and possible in the history of the game) without a fight, and it will take an eye-watering offer to even make them consider a sale.
In all likelihood, Messi will successfully fight the charges and stay at his boyhood club for the rest of his career. Hypothetically however, even if he were open to a move, it is difficult to imagine any club making a suitably big offer, particularly given clubs in Europe still need to adhere to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules (even though they have been relaxed recently).
Ironically, the one club that may be able to afford the Argentinian is also the last club he is likely to consider signing for — Real Madrid. As such, Barcelona fans have little to fear, and will likely enjoy watching the little magician play for them for years to come.