There is an air of the unbelievable about Lionel Messi's potential departure from Barcelona, not only because it could really happen, but because of how things reached this point.
One of the greatest footballers of all time is effectively on strike against one of the biggest clubs in the world, where he has spent his whole senior career, in order to force an exit.
Former Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre summed up the sense of bewilderment in an interview with Cadena SER when he said: "The best player in history does not leave with a burofax.