Ex-Barcelona president claims record-shattering €400m transfer bid was readied for Lionel Messi - ‘it wasn’t Man City’ so who were the mystery club?

In a candid interview with Cadena SER, Bartomeu opened up on one of the most volatile periods in his presidency. Following the shock departure of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, the club was reportedly on high alert that another superstar could be poached. Bartomeu detailed how the hierarchy at Camp Nou became aware of a massive financial operation designed to snatch Messi away from Spain.

The former president explained how the rumours first surfaced, stating: “A few weeks after Neymar’s departure, rumours began to circulate that a club was preparing €400 million (£346m/$470m) for Messi - the amount of his release clause.” This figure would have nearly doubled the record €222m (£192m/$261m) fee paid for Neymar, fundamentally altering the landscape of European football.

While Manchester City were frequently linked with Messi due to the presence of Pep Guardiola, Bartomeu was quick to rule out the English giants as the aggressors in this specific instance. He hinted that the financial backing for the move came from state-level resources, adding a layer of intrigue to the identity of the suitor.

Bartomeu revealed the seriousness of the threat by noting that the money was already in motion. “Funds from an Arab country were transferred to accounts in Europe,” he claimed. When pressed for more details about the origin of those adventure funds, Bartomeu chose not to disclose specifics: “It doesn’t matter now… that’s old news; it was years ago. There are very few clubs in England, or state-owned clubs, that can afford such sums.”

Despite the lack of an official name, Bartomeu's comments have sparked fresh debate over which club possessed the financial muscle and intent to pull off such a heist. He was adamant that it was not the blue half of Manchester that was leading the charge at that particular moment, though many suspected the City Football Group were the only ones capable of such an outlay.

“There was a team willing to pay €400 million. I don’t want to name names, but it wasn’t City,” he clarified. This leaves Chelsea, PSG, or perhaps a club from the Middle East itself as potential candidates, though the former president remained tight-lipped on the final identity of the club that left Barca officials sweating over the future of their greatest ever player.

The threat of losing the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner forced Barcelona into immediate action. Bartomeu described the internal panic and how they had to restructure Messi's agreement to ensure he remained in Catalonia for the foreseeable future. The resulting contract was one of the most lucrative in sporting history, making it nearly impossible for any rival to match such financial terms.

“What we did was talk to Lionel Messi and his father and discuss the matter: we had to raise the release clause,” Bartomeu explained. “At the time, the clause was 400, so we raised it to 700, which is a very high figure. If you raise the release clause, you also have to raise the player’s salary and compensation.” This move effectively ended the pursuit, though it contributed to the financial strain that would eventually lead to Messi's exit in 2021.