Barcelona hope to announce Lionel Messi contract this week after lengthy talks

Barcelona finally hope to announce the contract renewal of Lionel Messi this week after lengthy negotiations and then complications in re-signing the player.

Messi’s contract expired on 30 June 2021 and he has been a free agent since, but there has been a verbal agreement in place since then and the Argentine has not entertained offers from other clubs.

Now, with Barcelona having completed the paperwork and the logistics of the agreement, an announcement of Messi’s extension is expected soon.

Messi will sign on for a further five years and will take a 50 percent pay cut, helping the club’s dire financial situation as they hope to return to the top of LaLiga next season.

Messi didn’t show up for training on Monday, which isn’t a surprise, and he will only return once the contract formalities are sorted.

He has been on holiday in Florida and Ibiza in recent weeks, having ended his season on 10 July when Argentina won the Copa America, with Messi winning the Best Player and Top Scorer gongs as well as his first international trophy.

Now, the player is back in Barcelona having returned last night and will address the fans after the Joan Gamper Trophy final against Juventus on 8 August – the club’s traditional pre-season opener.

The Joan Gamper Trophy – the pre-season competition named after the club’s Swiss founder – is an annual event and the captain sends out a message to the fans after the game, which is what Messi is expected to do.

Do you think Lionel Messi made the right decision by extending? Let us know in the comments below.

New president Joan Laporta, who made his return in March, said it was a priority to extend Messi’s contract and he achieved his goal, now, he plans to celebrate it.

According to Mundo Deportivo, “the president wants to announce it and celebrate it in a big way, given the magnitude of the news for the institution and for the Barça fans.”

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