With news that Lionel Messi wants to leave Barcelona immediately, over the coming days many clubs will aspire to completing the greatest transfer of the century.

Landing Messi would be the dream of any president, coach or fan. However not many clubs would be in a position to maintain his staggering salary or, if necessary, pay the astronomical buyout clause that is stipulated in his Barcelona contract.

What is Lionel Messi’s termination clause?

As stipulated in the last contract signed by Messi, the termination clause for the Argentine international is set at €700 million  – a figure that is practically unreachable for any club in the world. It must be remembered that the most expensive transfer in history was that of Neymar, for whom PSG paid Barcelona €222 million back in 2017.

However, that same contract signed by Messi also stipulated that he could leave Barcelona freely at the end of this season. Under this stipulation, although he still has one season left on said contract (until June 2021), Messi would have the option of leaving Barcelona without his new club having to pay for his arrival.

However, in this case, he would have had to notify Barcelona before June. But considering the atypical season that has taken place due to the coronavirus pandemic, which ended just a few days ago, a legal dispute on this matter would be a certainty.

How much does Leo Messi earn?

According to a report published by L’Equipe a few months ago, Messi is the highest paid player in the world, with a gross salary of €8.3 million per month.

That amounts to a staggering €99.6 million a year – an undoubtedly exorbitant figure for any club, no matter how big the potential financial benefits of signing Messi could seem.