Messi is worth €700m... what about Ronaldo?
Lionel Messi finally put pen to paper to officially extend his contract with Barcelona, whose fans breathed a huge sigh of relief upon hearing the news.
The Argentine's release clause was set at a whopping 700 million euros and Barcelona chief Bartomeu will now feel alleviated having secured the superstar's continuity at the Camp Nou.
The Catalans seem to have learnt their lesson after Neymar's departure last summer and Messi's buy-out clause has gone from an 'affordable' 300 million to more then double. Messi's suitors will now have to think twice before planning a swoop.
But Real Madrid also implemented a system to avoid seeing their stars being lured by lucrative deals and promises from the new financial superpowers in Europe. Cristiano Ronaldo's contract was also slapped with an ironclad clause that was three times bigger then Messi's just a few weeks ago.
For the 32-year-old to depart the Santiago Bernabeu any time soon without Florentino Perez intervening in negotiations, 1,000 million euros would have to be paid up front. A figure out of reach even for the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City.
"If PSG want Cristiano Ronaldo, let them pay the clause," the long-serving Real Madrid president said. The two La Liga giants now face the transfer window carefree. Their stars are going nowhere.