Messi, Barca Agree Five-Year Contract Extension With 50 Per Cent Salary Cut

By Daily sports on July 15, 2021

Lionel Messi has reached a verbal agreement on a five-year contract extension at Barcelona, with his salary to be reduced by 50 per cent under terms of the new deal.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner was officially a free agent as of July 1 after he failed to agree terms over a renewal before his previous Barcelona contract expired on June 30.

Earlier in July, Messi led Argentina to the Copa America title thanks to a 1-0 win in the final against hosts Brazil, bringing an end to his wait for a first major international trophy.

The 34-year-old has now agreed to stay on at his boyhood club for another five years, meaning he will be 39 by the time his new deal runs out – when he will have totalled 26 years on the club’s books.

Messi sparked an acrimonious transfer row in August last year, when he officially informed the club his wish to activate a clause in his contract which would have seen him leave for free.

However, La Liga president Javier Tebas and Josep Maria Bartomeu – Barcelona president at the time – blocked the move, indicating that the clause was only active until June 10 and any suitor would have to pay his €700m release clause in full.

“I thought and we were sure that I’d be a free agent,” Messi told Goal.

“The president always told me that I could decide to stay or go at the end of the season and they’re now clinging to the fact that I hadn’t said anything by June 10, when it turns out that on June 10 the La Liga season was still ongoing and we were in the midst of this virus and this illness that altered the whole fixture calendar.

“And that’s the reason why I'm staying on at the club. I'm now staying because the president told me that the only way I could leave was by paying the €700m release clause, which is impossible.”

Bartomeu went on to resign in October, while Messi wanted to listen to the plans of his successor Joan Laporta before deciding his future.

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have been the front-running clubs interested in signing him. Messi also wants to one day play in MLS.

•PHOTO: Barca talisman Messi

Source Daily sports

Posted July 15, 2021


 

You may also like...
Venus Williams squares up with Wozniacki in WTA...

Smolov Breaks Spain’s Lockdown To Return Home

Brazil held to draw in World Cup opener...

Arteta ‘Feeling Better Already’ Following Coronavirus Diagnosis

Buhari hails Team Nigeria for Rio 2016 Paralympic...

UEFA Champions League: Suarez forgets passport on the...

 

Latest News Current Eagles lack creativity, I’ll struggle to score – Aiyegbeni Tokyo 2025: Onwuzurike to face Lyles in 200m semis NNL abolishes playoffs for NPFL promotion Super Falcons hail captain Onome Ebi as she retires FIFA rankings: Super Eagles drop to 45th, remain sixth in Africa Mouth-watering Incentives On Offer As Penafort-Pfc All Stars Tournament Kicks Off Kwara confident of hosting Confed Cup in Ilorin Aina undergoes successful surgery Young boxers shine at Yucateco Showdown Series 81 golfers for Nigeria Maritime Golf Challenge B’ball: Dolphins upset MFM in Zenith league opener Onuachu leads outrage against Turkish league refereeing

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (60,002 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (51,190 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (49,169 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (48,766 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (48,765 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (48,741 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (48,557 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (48,117 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (47,237 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (45,812 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (44,261 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (43,688 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media