LIONEL MESSI SHOCKS BARCELONA AFTER HANDING IN TRANSFER REQUEST

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has asked to leave the club this summer. The 33-year old Argentine sent a fax to Tuesday to express his desire to activate a clause in his contract which allows him to leave the club for free this summer.

After receiving this request, Barcelona however believe that the specific clause in his contract expired on the June 10, this year. Messi is still contracted with the club and his €700m release clause will have to be fully paid this summer before he can leave.

The Barcelona board will have an emergency meeting soon to find a solution to the situation. Many people close to the club have indicated that the resignation of the club's president Josep Maria Bartomeu would go a long way to help sort the situation.

After the news broke several Barcelona fans gathered around the Camp-Nou protest to show their support for the club captain and reqister their discontent with the club board,