Messi not interested in Barca contract extension: reports
29-year-old has a contract with reigning Spanish champions till summer of 2018
PHOTO: REUTERS
Barcelona star striker Lionel Messi has reportedly informed his club authorities that he is not interested in extending contract with the Catalan giants.
The 29-year-old has a contract with reigning Spanish champions till the summer of 2018, and it was previously reported that he will see out his career in Spain.
However, according to Madrid daily Marca, Messi told Barcelona hierarchy in the summer that he does not want to renew his contract at the club.
The pursuit of the Argentine striker by the Spanish tax authorities is reportedly one of the reasons behind his decision to leave Spain in 2018.
Despite reports, Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu, who have already secured contract extensions of key players in the squad which includes Brazil’s Neymar, Spain’s Sergio Busquets and Argentine’s Javier Mascherano, remains optimistic about holding on to what he calls the ‘best player in the world by far’.
While talking to the Daily Telegraph in October, Bartomeu said that negotiations regarding contract extension with Messi will begin in the couple of months and also revealed that he will try to persuade the Argentine to stay at Barcelona for the rest of his career.
"We will have negotiations with Messi in the next couple of months," he said. "Right now he has a contract to the end of the Russian World Cup [in 2018] and we are very happy with him. He’s the best player in the world, by far.”
He added: "I don’t know what will happen in the future, but of course we will always try to explain to him that he is at the best club in the world and this is the best place for him to live and he is living the best experience of his life with us.”
The 29-year-old has a contract with reigning Spanish champions till the summer of 2018, and it was previously reported that he will see out his career in Spain.
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However, according to Madrid daily Marca, Messi told Barcelona hierarchy in the summer that he does not want to renew his contract at the club.
The pursuit of the Argentine striker by the Spanish tax authorities is reportedly one of the reasons behind his decision to leave Spain in 2018.
Despite reports, Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu, who have already secured contract extensions of key players in the squad which includes Brazil’s Neymar, Spain’s Sergio Busquets and Argentine’s Javier Mascherano, remains optimistic about holding on to what he calls the ‘best player in the world by far’.
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While talking to the Daily Telegraph in October, Bartomeu said that negotiations regarding contract extension with Messi will begin in the couple of months and also revealed that he will try to persuade the Argentine to stay at Barcelona for the rest of his career.
"We will have negotiations with Messi in the next couple of months," he said. "Right now he has a contract to the end of the Russian World Cup [in 2018] and we are very happy with him. He’s the best player in the world, by far.”
He added: "I don’t know what will happen in the future, but of course we will always try to explain to him that he is at the best club in the world and this is the best place for him to live and he is living the best experience of his life with us.”