Lionel Messi seems to be unhappy at Barcelona, spurring speculation that he might make a big move to Chelsea.
On January 4, Messi was on the bench together with Neymar. Barca lost 1-0 against Real Sociedad.
ESPN reported that on January 5, Messi missed an open training session at Barcelona then started following the official account of Chelsea on Instagram. He also began following defender Filipe Luis and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. According to Messi, he suffered from a gastric problem, causing him to miss Sunday's activity held in front of thousands of children and fans.
Since Pep Guardiola left in 2012, there have been troubles at the Camp Nou. Sport, a Catalan publication, reported that there have been issues between the Argentine and coach Luis Enrique. Allegedly, the two had a heated argument before the team's defeat against Real Sociedad. Enrique has not been as successful as Guardiola and there have been doubts on previous signings. Barcelona is further under fire after Sandro Rosell resigned as president after a scandal involving Neymar's transfer. Furthermore, Messi is still battling his tax evasion case in court.
Messi told Ole, an Argentine publication, in a report by International Business Times, "At the moment, I am living in the present. I am thinking about having a great year and winning the trophies we want at Barcelona -- nothing else. Later, we will see. In football, things change all the time. Although I have always said I would like to stay there forever, sometimes everything does not always go as you want."
Despite the talks, it will take a lot of money to get Messi off Barcelona. Messi previously signed a new contract with the team that again made him the highest-paid player in the world. His huge salary of 20 million euros a year, plus a release clause worth 250 million euros will make any team, including Chelsea, think twice before acquiring the superstar, based on the same report by the IBTimes. Barca might more likely consider removing Enrique and current president Josep Maria Bartomeu to create a more conducive environment for Messi rather than have him leave.
If it were possible for Messi to transfer, three teams would be the frontrunners, having the buying power to afford the superstar, namely Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris St Germain. If any of these teams is serious about strengthening their lineup, now would be the perfect time to get the Argentine.
The Independent wrote that Jose Mourinho, manager of Chelsea, previously debunked rumors that they were interested in Messi. He said in an interview in 2014 that the talks were "obviously not true" and that there was no chance for a transfer.