Barcelona believe Lionel Messi likely to stay?

Barcelona supporters may not have to accept an existence that includes six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi playing for Premier League side Manchester City or any other club this fall.

A day after ESPN's Moises Llorens and Rodrigo Faez reported that showdown talks between Jorge Messi, father of and agent for the superstar 33-year-old footballer, and Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu went nowhere and ended in a stalemate, that pair said on Thursday that sources claim Messi could see the remainder of his contract out.

AS.com posted that Argentinian journalist Martin Arevalo believes it is "90% likely" Messi will remain with the Catalan club.

Messi is signed with Barcelona through the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

Messi delivered a bombshell on Aug. 25 when he attempted to terminate his Barca contract via a clause that allows him to cancel the deal at the end of a season ahead of completing a free transfer to a team of his choosing. Barcelona and La Liga insist that clause expired on June 10 regardless of the fact that the coronavirus pandemic pushed European calendars into the summer months.

Following Wednesday's meeting now said to have been positive (previous reports claimed the discussion between Jorge Messi and Bartomeu was tense), Barcelona board members are hopeful the club can offer Messi the challenge he wants at this late stage of his physical prime. He has not yet reported to Barcelona for coronavirus testing and preseason training.

City, reportedly willing to offer Barcelona €100 million in a transfer fee and three players, and Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain are the favorites to win Messi's signature if he departs the Spanish giants before the summer transfer window closes on Oct. 5.