Spanish press reports have revealed that the Argentine star and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is close to renewing his contract for another two seasons with the Spanish team.
Messi’s contract with Barcelona is due to expire on 30 June, but the reported renewal will see him remain with the club until 2023.
ESPN Argentina confirmed that the Catalan club’s management, headed by Joan Laporta, is striving to reunite Messi and his Brazilian friend Neymar, who currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The potential of bringing Neymar on board is one of Barcelona’s most important goals for the next season.
Media reports previously reported that Jorge Messi, the Argentine’s father and who is also his agent, expressed his openness about the possibility of his son concluding a new long-term contract with Barcelona.
Messi senior indicated that Lionel is currently giving priority to sports matters more than financial matters, as he wants to lead a successful new project with Barcelona, instead of earning a huge salary.
The 33-year-old Argentine player was exceedingly close to leaving Barcelona at the last summer transfer window, due to the consequences of the historic loss of the Blaugrana at the hands of Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
However, Barcelona’s former president Josep Maria Bartomo did the impossible of spoiling Messi’s transfer attempt, and reached the point of exchanging the icon for the fictional penalty clause in his contract, in exchange for his release.
In a different context, Messi has continued to lead the top scorers list in the Spanish League after the end of the 34th round of the 2020-2021 La Liga competition.
The Argentine has scored 28 goals this season, to consolidate his lead in the Spanish League’s top scorers’ table, after scoring two goals against Valencia in Barcelona’s 3-2 victory in an exciting confrontation on Sunday evening at the Mestalla stadium.
Messi remains seven goals ahead of French star and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who failed to score during his team’s victory over CA Osasuna.
