Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi told Barcelona he wants to leave – on a free transfer – in a “bombshell” fax on Tuesday that is expected to spark a legal battle over a buy-out clause worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Signalling the end of an era at Barcelona, where Messi is the record scorer and has won four Champions League titles, the disgruntled Argentine wants to terminate his contract “unilaterally” by triggering a release clause, a source told AFP.

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