Barcelona must pay their star player and club captain Lionel Messi a loyalty bonus of €30m at the end of the campaign, even if he decides not to renew his contract.
The Argentine international’s deal at the Camp Nou is due to expire at the end of June 2021 but a report in Deportes Cuatro claim his loyalty bonus will be due to him regardless of whether or not he decides to stay on at the club.
🚨🚨🚨 NOTICIA | #Messi
Leo Messi tiene una prima de fidelidad de 30 millones con el Barcelona aunque salga del club este veranohttps://t.co/KqxEezuGRa
— Deportes Cuatro (@DeportesCuatro) November 16, 2020
Barcelona news had been dominated by Messi’s demands to leave the club in the close-season and his future at the club beyond this current campaign is now unclear.
It comes after the Messi news that he confirmed he was staying at the Camp Nou for this season, although he clarified that he was less than happy to be doing so, after threatening to leave the club on a free transfer this summer.
The fresh report claims that his annual salary at the Blaugrana is in the region of €50m, and this loyalty bonus was stipulated in his last contract renewal – which was penned in November 2017.
The resignation of club president Josep Maria Bartomeu has left a power void on how to deal with contract extensions as interim president Carlos Tusquets is unlikely to negotiate such a significant move in his short-term stay, so the club’s position on his renewal is now lacking clarity.
