Bartomeu admits one unnamed club was willing to pay Messi's buyout clause at the time.
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He recalled to AS: "But once Neymar left in August 2017 (for PSG), we received information that another club was preparing to pay Messi's €400 million release clause.
"We sat down with Leo and his father and proposed a contract renewal with an increased release clause of €700 million, which was signed in November 2017.
"Messi renewed for a salary that seemed very reasonable to me, especially considering what he contributed, both on and off the field.
"We secured his future because if they paid €222 million for Neymar, they could pay €400 million for Leo, and we didn't want to lose him under any circumstances."