Top 5 release clauses in football

#2 Lionel Messi - £626m

Messi is considered by many as the greatest footballer of all time

Arguably the most deserving player on this list, Messi has remained a one team player since joining Barcelona's La Masia as a teenager. With an illustrious career that saw him earn silverware for the club as well as numerous personal accolades, Messi seems to have committed himself to the club with a recent contract extension that features a buyout clause of £626m.

With the player having enjoyed great success as Barcelona's talisman through the years, it is safe to say that the club is very cautious regarding their most important asset, especially after the Neymar transfer saga

With 22 goals and 8 assists across all competitions, Messi is handling business as usual. That Barcelona are undefeated under new manager Valverde and have replaced Neymar with Dembele and Coutinho along with the fact that Madrid are having a disastrous season, a contract extension for Messi seems to be the icing on the cake.

While there were rumours of the player weighing his options with his contract due to expire in 2018, the recent form of the team and world-class signings seem to have changed his heart. The contract extension and the release clause are indications that Messi might finish his career in Barcelona.