Lionel Messi has sensationally told Barcelona he wants out.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner, 33, has requested that the club honour an agreement which allows him to cut short his contract and leave for free.
Messi made his Barcelona debut in 2004
The LaLiga giants have confirmed to the Associated Press that the 33-year-old wants to activate that clause and leave this summer.
It means Messis last match for Barcelona could be their humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Man City are the strong favourites to sign Messi at 4/6 with Paddy Power.
City have made no secret of their desire to sign him should he become available and given his close relationship with their manager Pep Guardiola.
While coaching the Argentina forward at Barcelona, Guardiola won three LaLiga titles and two Champions League trophies during a four-year spell in charge from 2008.
There are murmurs in Spain, though, that neighbours Manchester United could make a sensational move for Messi and they are just 8/1 to sign him.
Could Messi and Guardiola be reunited at Man City?
Paris Saint-Germain are priced at 9/1 to be Messi’s next club, with the Qatari-owned French giants among the few clubs in world football who could afford his huge pay packet.
Inter Milan are also being talked about as a potential destination for the Argentine maestro.
Chelsea’s odds on signing Messi came in overnight, from 35/1 to 17/1, as Rio Ferdinand teased on Twitter that he has ‘just heard Frank Lampard is now in for Messi’.
The Blues are the biggest spenders of this transfer window as Lampard looks to launch a title bid this season.
Just heard Frank Lampard is now in for #messiSome window this if Lamps pulls this off !!
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) August 25, 2020
Leeds, surprisingly, are ahead of Arsenal in the betting to be Messi’s next club – priced at 33/1 alongside Liverpool.
That is perhaps due to compatriot Marcelo Bielsa, who Messi is known to admire and – according to reports in Spain – had recently pushed to become Barca boss before Ronald Koeman’s appointment.
Odds on Lionel Messi’s next club
4/6        Man City8/1        Man United9/1        PSG9/1        Inter Milan17/1      Chelsea25/1      Any Argentine club25/1      Bayern Munich33/1      Leeds33/1      Liverpool
33/1      Juventus33/1      Any MLS club35/1      Al Sadd60/1      Arsenal60/1      Any Chinese club
*Provided by Paddy Power, and correct as of 7.30am, Tuesday, August 26