Diario AS reports that Abramovich on Friday requested an urgent meeting with Messi’s team as he wants to sign the Argentine captain before the end of the summer transfer window.
The report claimed that Abramovich took the decision after seeing Premier League rivals, Manchester City hang up on Messi.
Recall that Man City manager, Pep Guardiola, had on Friday confirmed that the club would not sign Messi because they have already signed Jack Grealish for £100 million.
Barcelona had officially announced on Thursday that their captain, Messi, will be leaving Camp Nou as a free agent this summer.
Messi’s contract with the Catalan club expired on July 1 and he was believed to have agreed on fresh terms.
However, the new contract couldn’t be finalised “due to financial and structural problems [rules relating to the Spanish topflight league],” an official club statement revealed.
