What Barcelona presidential election result means for Man City Lionel Messi transfer

Joan Laporta was elected Barcelona’s president for the second time on Sunday evening, successful 54 per cent of the vote on the Camp Nou, ending properly away from his rivals on the poll.

Laporta’s profitable marketing campaign vowed to prioritise Messi’s future, and with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner’s contract set to run out on the finish of the season, Manchester City are on excessive alert.

Nevertheless, Laporta’s win was broadly celebrated in Barcelona as a convincing victory for the membership, and the end result may have large ramifications on Metropolis’s possibilities of luring Messi to Manchester.

“Seeing Lionel Messi coming to vote immediately, seeing him participating, that could be very telling,” Laporta stated, talking after his victory. “Twenty years in the past [he] made his debut with Barca’s youth group.

“Seeing the very best participant on the earth come out to vote immediately is a transparent signal of what we maintain saying. Leo loves Barca. The perfect participant on the earth loves Barca and I hope that may be a signal that he’ll keep at Barcelona, which is what all of us need.”

The newly elected 58-year-old, who acted as Barcelona’s president between 2003 and 2010, was answerable for the appointment of Pep Guardiola, signalling the start of the membership’s golden period.

Guardiola and Laporta are believed to have a robust relationship, and when saying his run for president 9 months in the past, Laporta stated he “would very very similar to Guardiola to return again”.

Laporta’s phrases would make it simple to neglect that Metropolis have the bargaining chips – not Barcelona.

Barcelona are in severe monetary bother, with the membership’s newest accounts displaying a web debt of €488million (£420m), and delayed funds to gamers had been even agreed in December.

The membership’s monetary issues have been exacerbated the Covid-19 pandemic, and whereas Messi is their biggest participant on the pitch, the Argentinian is considerably their highest earner.

Messi, now 33 years outdated, has simply 4 months left of his contract, which means he may probably go away on a free in the summertime window.

Whereas his departure could be a bitter blow for Barcelona, it could ease the monetary burden on the membership.

It’s unsurprising Laporta has publicly campaigned for Messi to remain, but when he needs to safeguard Barcelona’s long-term future, reluctantly permitting Messi to go away might be a realistic resolution.

Regardless of Sunday’s celebrations, Messi becoming a member of Metropolis this summer season stays a really actual chance.