Lionel Messi to change transfer stance and sign new Barcelona contract on one condition

Man City: Is Messi interested in summer move?

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Lionel Messi is now far likelier to sign a new contract at Barcelona, according to Spanish football expert Graham Hunter. However, Barca still have to offer the right financial terms for the Argentina superstar to stay at the club. The forward has been linked with mega-money moves to Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi is out of contract at Barcelona at the end of this season.

Hunter says chances of the 34-year-old re-signing last summer were “nil” but believes they have now risen dramatically.

A major reason for that is the election results on Sunday, which saw Joan Laporta become the club’s new president.

But Hunter says money remains an issue between the two parties.

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“The chances were nil last summer,” Hunter told talkSPORT.

“They were about 25 per cent in the autumn, and I think they’ve increased to about 60 or 65 per cent. So I think he’ll stay.

“They still have to offer him the money, we’re back to money again.

“They have to say, ‘Here’s what we value you staying’. And if they get that right, then maybe he stays.”

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Laporta arrives at Barcelona with the club in a difficult situation financially.

But Hunter says there are still plenty of positives among the squad and management staff, including current boss Ronald Koeman.

“Messi is happier than he was last August and playing well, he’s LaLiga’s top scorer,” Hunter continued.

“Given he’s turning 34, don’t anybody tune in and expect him to be playing like he was when he was 24.

“But he’s still exceptional. I won’t go through the team one-by-one, but Pedri is looking like he’ll be on the scale of [Andres] Iniesta and Xavi. He is an extraordinary footballer, beautiful to watch.

“They’ve got Ansu Fati, Frenkie de Jong performing, Antoine Griezmann performing, that’s very good.

“He’s inherited a coach he knows well [Ronald Koeman]. People thought he was going to cause problems in the dressing room, but he hasn’t. He’s put a lot of things right. There’s a chance of a trophy.

“He’s inheriting a difficult situation, particularly financially. But it feels like spring, not just in calendar terms, but in terms of Barcelona, compared to the beginning of the season when it was definitely a heavy Moscow winter.”

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