If all had gone according to plan, Lionel Messi would have become a Real Madrid player in June 2013, few months before the club bought Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur.
According to reports emanating from Spain, the La Liga giants were prepared to activate the Barcelona talisman’s €250 million buyout clause at the time, which would have smashed the world transfer record in the game.
Spiegel reported that Real Madrid intended to pay €23m net per year to Messi until 2021 and one million more to his father.
Messi’s then lawyer Inigo Juarez reportedly informed his father and agent, Jorge Messi about the deal.
It was further reported that to pull off a deal, a meeting was to take place inside a private jet, in the presence of Messi; his then lawyer Inigo Juarez; Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez; the then sports director, Miguel Pardeza; and a lawyer from Real Madrid.
However, Real Madrid have described the report as “totally false”.
Messi’s buyout clause has since been increased to €700m.