Lionel Messi’s €700million release clause may not be enough to dissuade potential buyers, according to Barcelona’s financial and strategy director Pancho Schroder.

Messi finally agreed to new terms last November with the Blaugrana inserting a whopping buy-out clause in the wake of Neymar’s world-record departure to Paris Saint-Germain.

The shockwaves of that move forced Barca to better protect themselves from the possibility of the 30-year-old departing – justifiable so as the Argentine has plundered 32 times in all competitions this season, passing the 600-goal mark with a trademark free-kick against Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

But Schroder insists he would not be surprised if rival clubs still attempted to prise Messi away from Camp Nou.

Speaking at a Finance in Sport event in London, Schroder told Sky Sports News: “We set up a clause which we think is enough to have Messi retire at FC Barcelona.

“But having said that, we thought a year ago that the clause for Neymar was also good enough to retain the player, and that proved last summer not to be the case.

“Looking at the future, I think, is difficult, but I don’t have a crystal ball and these days things are getting a little bit crazy.”