Barcelona will open contract negotiations with Lionel Messi this month with his deal at the Camp Nou set to expire next summer.
The details are outlined by a report in Marca, expanding on reports from Cadena Cope and Radio Marca, which claims that club president Josep Maria Bartomeu has attempted several times to open discussions this season but has faced a series of delays.
There is an expectation that negotiations will be a lengthy process and there will need to be a series of details discussed over the course of next season to come to an agreement.
Bartomeu together with the club’s CEO Óscar Grau will represent the club in the negotiations process and they will be dealing with Messi’s father Jorge.
It is claimed that Messi’s priority is not the length of the contract, but of retaining the clause that allows him to leave at the end of any given season should he wish to do so.
Messi, who celebrates his 33rd birthday next month, has spent the entirety of his professional career at the Camp Nou.
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“Playing behind closed doors – for us – is not much different to the games being cancelled.” – Find out who said this right here.
