Report: Some Barcelona board members open to selling Messi

Barcelona may consider the formerly unthinkable prospect of selling Lionel Messi.

The club prefers to keep Messi, but there's been an internal debate over his future and some Barcelona board members are prepared to listen to offers for the star, sources told ESPN FC's Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden.

However, those board members would agree to part with the 33-year-old only under the right circumstances, according to Marsden and Llorens.

Messi's own doubts about his future at the Camp Nou apparently triggered a conversation among the club's board.

New Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman said he wants to continue to build the team around the six-time Ballon d'Or winner, but Messi's relationship with the club has been damaged by events both on and off the pitch this year.

Messi publicly slammed former sporting director Eric Abidal in February for blaming the players for Ernesto Valverde's firing, and he then took aim at the club's board a month later for claiming the team refused to take a pay cut amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Most recently, Barcelona were humiliated in the Champions League, losing to Bayern Munich 8-2 in the quarterfinals. That result led to Quique Seiten getting sacked and further speculation about Messi, who has one year remaining on a contract that includes a €700-million release clause.

Messi reportedly held talks with Koeman shortly after the Dutch coach replaced Setien, during which he expressed concern over his new manager's plans to part with players such as Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba.

Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu is confident Messi will sign a new contract until at least 2023, but negotiations have reportedly stopped for the time being.