Lionel Messi's £625m release clause might not put off Barcelona star's suitors, says Pancho Schroder
Thursday 8 March 2018 06:40, UK
Barcelona's financial and strategy director Pancho Schroder would not be surprised if a rival club was tempted to pay the £625m release clause in Lionel Messi's contract.
Messi signed a new deal last November but Schroder feels Neymar's world-record departure for Paris Saint-Germain a few months earlier shows anything can happen in the world of football transfers.
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The 30-year-old has continued in prolific form this season, scoring 32 goals in all competitions for his club and passing the 600-goal mark against Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Schroder realises the "crazy" nature of football could mean Barcelona's stated desire to keep Messi at the Nou Camp for the rest of his career being tested in the future.
Speaking at a Finance in Sport event in London, Schroder told Sky Sports News: "We set up a clause which we think is enough to have Messi retire at FC Barcelona.
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"But having said that, we thought a year ago that the clause for Neymar was also good enough to retain the player, and that proved last summer not to be the case.
"Looking at the future, I think, is difficult, but I don't have a crystal ball and these days things are getting a little bit crazy."
