Lionel Messi is asking for a pay packet of €20m per season from his new Barcelona contract, reports in Spain have claimed.
Marca says the Messi camp is waiting for a reply from the club and want an extra €3m in bonuses.
Barca’s latest offer was €18m and there had been concern after a period without reply from the Messi side, with Marca citing a previous negotiation conducted by Joan Laporta that saw the Messi camp go so long without reply that the President thought the player wanted to leave.
With that in mind current President Josep Maria Bartomeu is said to be encouraged by the response despite the gap between the two sides as it means Messi is happy to stay at Camp Nou.
Jorge Messi, Messi’s father and agent, is due in Barcelona this weekend to meet with Bartomeu and attempt to finalise a deal. Bonuses and image rights are said to be the main points of disagreement.
The hope is to have something signed before the end of the season, with the final round of League games coming on May 18, as Messi would after that date be focused on the World Cup.
