Former Barcelona president reveals club received bombshell €400m offer for Messi: ‘Funds from an Arab country were transferred’

Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has opened up on one of the most dramatic moments during his time at the club, revealing how close Lionel Messi came to being targeted by an extraordinary transfer move.

Speaking in an interview with Cadena SER, Bartomeu reflected on the period following Neymar’s exit, when Barcelona were already dealing with major changes. 

It was during this time that concerns began to grow inside the club about a potential record-breaking attempt to sign Messi. 

Bartomeu explained how the rumours first surfaced. “A few weeks after Neymar’s departure, rumours began to circulate that a club was preparing €400 million for Messi – the amount of his release clause.”

He then went further, revealing details about how serious the situation appeared at the time. 

“Funds from an Arab country were transferred to accounts in Europe.”

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When pressed for more details about the origin of those funds, Bartomeu chose not to disclose specifics but hinted at the level of financial power involved.

“It doesn’t matter now… that’s old news; it was years ago. There are very few clubs in England, or state-owned clubs, that can afford such sums.”

An unnamed team was ready to trigger Messi’s release clause. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

He also made it clear that while a club was ready to trigger the clause, it was not one of the most commonly linked names.

“There was a team willing to pay €400 million. I don’t want to name names, but it wasn’t [Manchester] City.”

Faced with that threat, Barcelona acted quickly to secure their biggest asset. Bartomeu explained the internal response and the discussions that followed with Messi and his family.

“What we did was talk to Lionel Messi and his father and discuss the matter: we had to raise the release clause.”

That decision ultimately led to a major contractual change, with Bartomeu concluding,

“At the time, the clause was 400, so we raised it to 700, which is a very high figure. 

“If you raise the release clause, you also have to raise the player’s salary and compensation.”