Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart believes that Lionel Messi will be unable to leave the club for free this summer, despite the player's wishes.
The 33-year-old is aiming to depart Camp Nou by activating a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave on a free transfer — despite his contract not expiring until the end of the 2020-21 season.
Messi and his legal team believe the clause will allow him to terminate his deal unilaterally, with Barca helpless in the matter.
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The Argentine's current deal has a €700 million (£630m/$828m) release clause, a figure designed to make it impossible for another club to steal him away from Barca.