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Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is discontent with the club's ongoing pursuit of Everton midfielder Gerard Deulofeu. The Catalan giants are looking to activate the £10.5m buy-back clause on his contract.
Deulofeu joined Everton on a permanent basis from Barcelona in the summer of 2015 when manager Roberto Martinez was still in charge at Goodison Park.
With the appointment of Ronald Koeman at the helm last summer, Deulofeu struggled for regular playing time, and he was subsequently loaned out to AC Milan where he bagged four goals and three assists in the second half of last season.
Through his performances at San Siro, Deulofeu has managed to regain a spot in the Spain national setup, and this has apparently caught the eye of Barca boss Ernesto Valverde.
Valverde has decided to take up the buy-back option in Deulofeu's contract despite knowing that the club cannot sell or loan him directly for the next 12 months, as per the clause.
According to Don Balon, Lionel Messi is clearly disinterested by the club's transfer activity, and he would rather see the club spend their budget on Arsenal's Hector Bellerin and Paris Saint-Germain's Marco Verratti.
Everton bought Deulofeu for just £4.2 two years ago, and the sale would represent a decent profit for a player, who has not lived up to his early hype.
Written by Sri Aswin
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