Lionel Messi may have played final Barcelona game as PSG and Man City circle

Lionel Messi may have already played his final game for Barcelona as he will not be included for the side’s final match of the season against Eibar.

Argentine superstar Messi is out of contract at the Camp Nou on 30 June with intense speculation surrounding his future.

The trip to the Basque Country to face the already-relegated Eibar had been billed as potentially the final match of Messi’s illustrious career at the club.

Barcelona’s uncertain financial position and relative lack of success on the pitch in recent times had prompted speculation that Messi may wish to serve out the final years of his career away from the club.

El Mundo Deportivo confirm that Messi has been given permission by the club not to train ahead of this weekend's game and he will start his holidays early – with one eye on representing Argentina in the Copa America, starting next month.

Indeed, Messi pushed for an exit from the Camp Nou last summer at the end of the previous campaign as he believed that a clause in his contract allowing him to leave as a free agent at the end of any given season could be activated.

However, due to the prolonged nature of the campaign due to the pandemic the date for his desire to be acted upon had passed and he opted not to take the club to court.

That contract expires officially expires this summer and the player has theoretically been allowed to speak to other clubs since 1 January, with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City among the clubs who could potentially finance a move.

The superstar has spent the entirety of his professional career at the Camp Nou and has netted a club record 672 goals in 778 appearances for Barca – a record club number in each category.

Indeed, Messi’s goalscoring exploits are so extraordinary that his goal tally is higher than each of the next three highest scorers in the club’s history – Cesar Rodriguez, Luis Suarez and Laszlo Kubala – combined.

Ronald Koeman’s side enter the final day of La Liga with nothing to play for – they are seven points behind league leaders Atletico Madrid and five from Real Madrid, who could also win the title.

Barca were favourites for the title until recent weeks – but shock home defeats against Granada and Celta Vigo, coupled with a failure to beat Atletico at home, has ended their challenge.

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