Graham Hunter believes FC Barcelona's treatment of Luis Suárez in recent days has hastened Lionel Messi's decision to leave the Catalan club.
The Argentinian formally notified the club on Tuesday via fax that he wants to put an end to their 19-year relationship.
"Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi are umbilically linked on and off the pitch," Hunter said on Wednesday's OTB AM.
"There was an article in EL Pais, a long article where Luis Suárez details that he wants to see out the last year of his contract and that he believes he’s got goals to score and trophies still to win at Barca.
"The following morning, the club phone him up and say you’re out. We’ll pay you up. Find yourself somewhere else to go.
"That manner of doing it was ungainly, particularly after last week when the President Bartomeu said that, 'there are legends who are leaving, but they deserve to go with full honours out the front door.'
"I don’t think Messi has sent this fax because Suárez has been badly treated. Has it accelerated his decision? Yes I think so."
As well as the club's treatment of Suárez, new manager Ronald Koeman's recent conversations with Messi may also have accelerated the process.
The experienced Dutch manager is reported to have told Messi that, "your privileges in the squad are over, you have to do everything for the team. I'm going to be inflexible, you have to think about the team.”
"Koeman talks a good game. Does that mean that the on-pitch problems are instantly solved? No it doesn't," Hunter explained.
"There’s a very clear line of thought that Koeman’s vocabulary when he and Messi had the discussion late last week was significantly stentorian to make Messi feel that he's not buying into this."
Hunter explained that this wasn't a wise course for Koeman to take as Messi is "extraordinarily proud and can be spiky at the best of times".
Messi was also one of the few bright spots in a particularly bleak season for the Blaugrana.
"In a pathetic season, Messi contributed to well over 50 goals. He’s one of only two or three players who can hold their head up high after this rotten season," Hunter said.
"Koeman comes in, carrying the reputation he does and saying listen 'I want you to stay, I want to build the team around you but you have to understand all privileges are over'."
With all that Messi has done for Barcelona, Hunter feels the 33-year-old is entitled to question this attitude from Koeman.
Such heavy-handedness from Koeman and the club in dealing with Messi and Suárez makes one wonder if this is a deliberate ploy to be rid of the older stars with the aim of starting a new project.
"Between Koeman and the club they’ve made missteps," Hunter said.
"The only real question is, have some of those missteps been deliberate in order to galvanise the situation?"
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