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Messi misses first pre-season training session as stand-off continues

A kid sporting Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi's jersey sits on the pavement outside the Barcelona's Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper in Sant Joan Despi waiting for the arrival of Barcelona players to undergo a medical test for Covid-19, on August 30, 2020. 

Photo credit: Pau Barrena | AFP

By  AFP

What you need to know:

  • It appears increasingly likely Messi will try to force a transfer by refusing to play in La Liga next season, which begins on September 12.
  • The Argentinian has reportedly spoken to City coach Pep Guardiola but other clubs remain in the running, including Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and Juventus.

Madrid

Lionel Messi boycotted Barcelona's first pre-season training session on Monday, club sources have confirmed to AFP, as the striker upped the stakes in his battle to leave this summer.

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