Lionel Messi will not take a planned pre-season coronavirus test on Sunday or return to training on Monday after his shock announcement earlier this week that he wants to leave Barcelona, Marca reports.
According to the Spanish sports paper, Messi is “going to war” with his lifelong club by making the decision.
The Catalan club have refused to hold talks to discuss his future after he handed in a transfer request on Tuesday.
Ronald Koeman’s squad are due back in for pre-season training on Monday ahead of the start of the new campaign.
This comes as a surprise to Barcelona, who expected Messi to return to training as normal despite his ongoing dispute with the club.
The Argentine believes, since he’s handed in an official transfer request, that his time at Barcelona has come to an end.
Even though he no longer feels part of the club, he wants to make sure he gets the send off he deserves at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona are insisting that Messi will not be able to leave this summer unless another club pays his 700 million euro release clause.
Under the terms of the contract which expires in 2021, the only way Messi can leave without the club’s consent is if a rival side pays his release clause of 700 million euros.
