Barca say adios to Messi, the boy who signed on a napkin

When Lionel Messi won an unprecedented sixth Ballon d’Or in December last year, the speculation had already begun over his career at Barcelona after he sought to trigger an exit clause and leave as a free agent.

An April consolation prize of a Spanish Cup success, his 35th club trophy, was scant reward.

The 34-year-old Argentine footballing genius has countless times over 17 years with the Catalan club been able to propel the side to glory. But the club has been imploding off the pitch amid a soaring debt mountain.

Now there are fears for the future on the pitch after the club said Thursday that agreement on a new deal could not be reached “due to economic and structural obstacles” under Spanish League rules, scotching plans for him to remain with his only club for another five years, until 2026, when he would be 39.

The 34-year-old signed his first contract with Barcelona in 2000 on a napkin when he was just 13 but his contract expired on June 30, meaning he could look once again further afield.

In truth, he has been eyeing different horizons for at least two years, however. Messi had informed the club after their 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich that he wanted “unilaterally” to terminate his contract by triggering a release clause.

Now once again, he is headed for the exit door even if few clubs are likely to have the financial firepower to pay his wages although he is at least available on a free transfer.

The suitors with the deepest pockets are Manchester City, led by Messi’s former Barcelona mentor Pep Guardiola, or Paris Saint Germain, where he would link up once again with former teammate Neymar.

Barcelona have insisted in the past they had plans for coping with Messi’s retirement, whenever it came, but the truth is their number 10 is irreplaceable, on the field as well as off.

According to Catalan financial firm Diagonal Inversiones Messi is worth more than his salary, by a distance. The Argentine great may have earned some 385 million euros in the past four years at Barca. Take that out of the equation and Barca will be losing more than just a man who led them to 10 La Liga crowns, four UEFA Champions Leagues, three Club World Cups and six Spanish Cups and who has scored the most goals and most hat-tricks in La Liga while netting more than 700 senior goals for club and country.