Barcelona Received €400m Offer for Messi, Claims Bartomeu

Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu revealed that a club was prepared to trigger Lionel Messi’s €400 million release clause, leading the Catalan giants to raise the fee to €700 million. fishroad-app.com

Bartomeu detailed how funds from an Arab country were transferred to Europe, though he refused to name the specific team, noting it was not Manchester City. To secure their star, Barcelona subsequently increased Messi's release clause and salary.