Russian Side Offered "£205m" For Messi - El Mundo Deportivo

Are you kidding me? That figure is awesome. An unnamed Russian club triggered Lionel Messi's automatic release clause with a staggering €250m (£205m) bid for the Barcelona star, a report claims. Spanish sports daily El Mundo Deportivo reports that the club agreed to pay more than double the world record transfer fee, and offered the Argentine a €30m (£24.6m) annual pay packet after tax.

Once that sum was offered Barcelona were contractually obliged to accept it - but from that point it was up to the player whether he was interested in leaving the club. The bid came during Messi's recent contract negotiations with Barcelona.

However, the 25-year-old rejected the move and signed a two-year extension with Barça that ties him to the Camp Nou until 2018. Although the club was not named it is likely to have been Anzhi Makachkala, who are owned by billionaire Suleyman Kerimov.

In 2011 Anzhi signed former Barça striker Samuel Eto'o, making him the highest-paid player in world football. El Mundo Deportivo said Messi rejected the Russian move because of his desire to continue winning titles at Barcelona.

He scored a record 91 goals in 2012 and is expected to win his fourth consecutive Ballon d'Or. Neither is Messi short of cash - in March it was revealed he earns £27m per year, topping up his £13m salary with sponsorships and endorsements.

Every player in Spanish football must have a minimum fee release clause in their contract. Cristiano Ronaldo's is the highest, standing at €1bn (£800m)

Source

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Messi Breaks Previous Record To Become Worlds Greatest Football Goal Scorer In History

And he keeps breaking the football records. Half man, half machine. Half amazing, half goal scorer, full Messi. It's official: Rare genius, Rare Talent!!! Lionel Messi is now the greatest goals corer the game has even seen - and probably the finest footballer in history, too. We have never seen his like before - and we may never witness such a tremendous talent again.

Luckily, Leo is only 25 and is set to be around for some time to come yet. Last Thursday, the astonishing Argentine was nominated for his fourth successive Ballon d'Or. Nobody in history has achieved that, but Messi is used to surpassing such marks, milestones and merits.

Lionel Messi on Sunday night, set a new record of 86 goals in a calendar year after surpassing Gerd Muller's record of 85 strikes in Seville. The Barcelona man achieved the feat with two fine strikes in the first half an hour against Betis, meaning he has notched up the tally of 86 in 66 games

It took Muller just 60 appearances to set the previous record in 1972.

The Argentine started 2012 with two goals against Osasuna in the Copa del Rey, and regularly notched up doubles and trebles throughout the year for both club and country. He scored exactly two goals on 20 occasions, and at least three strikes nine times, including a five-goal haul against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

Muller hit 42 Bundesliga goals in 34 outings to fire Bayern Munich to the German title in 1971-72 and eventually 1972-73, and he also played an integral role in West Germany's European Championship victory. He scored five goals in the four finals games it took die Mannschaft to lift the trophy under the old format.

Muller was also boosted by Bayern's run of 21 matches in 37 days during the traditional pre-season period. Due to the summer Olympics that year, the German domestic football season was pushed back until September 16, so a new competition - the DFB-Ligapokal (League Cup) - was hastily introduced to ward off rustiness.

Muller scored 12 goals in five games in that maiden campaign, while he scored 10 goals against Galatasaray and Omonia Nicosia in the opening stages of the old European Cup.

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Lionel Messi Confirms He is Going To Be a Father

 Lionel and girlfriend Antonella

The 24 year old Barcelona player has confirmed he is going to be a father. The world's number one footballer is expecting his first child with girlfriend, Antonella Roccuzzo.

"I think it will be a boy," Messi is quoted as saying by Ole. "We did not want to say anything because we never talk about our private life. But we were constantly asked about it, so we wanted to share our joy."

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