Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has reiterated his belief that Lionel Messi will extend his contract and end his career at the club.
The Argentine’s future has been central to Barcelona news in recent weeks amid growing speculation that Messi will leave Barcelona, with Spanish radio station Cadena Ser claiming he was eyeing an exit at the expiration of his current contract, in 2021.
“We have talked, we are talking and we will talk to Messi,” Bartomeu explained on TV3, in quotes carried by Marca. “He wants to finish his career here, we will renew it for sure, I have no doubt that he will continue here.”
Messi has a clause in his current deal at the club which would see him allowed to leave at the end of any season should he so desire, but the deadline for exercising that this year has already passed and it is unclear if such an arrangement would be kept for any future contract.
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 celebrated his 33rd birthday last month, has spent the entirety of his professional career at the Camp Nou.
Messi need to play for another team, that will help him to be as one of the greatest players in world of ⚽. Messi this is your time to move on