Questions rise over his future but Messi has long been linked with a move to either French club Paris St Germain or Manchester City, where he would be reunited with his former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola.

Meanwhile, some observers believe Messi's exit announcement to be a major calling of La Liga's bluff from Barca.

Threatening to allow the best player in the world to leave the league because of imposed constraints may persuade La Liga to loosen their financial fair play regulations to allow him to stay, some observers have suggested.