A sign of relief for Barcelona fans as Argentinean superstar Lionel Messi has signed a new £500,000-a-week deal with Spanish club.
Messi had left Barca supporters nervously trying to read the signs coming out of his camp as his current deal was allowed to run down to June 2018.
But that wait is finally over with the player ready to tie his future to the club he joined as a 13-year-old. The new contract will run until 2021, with the option of an extra year.
The deal will include a buy-out clause of around £264m – enough to put off any potential suitors.
The Argentina forward has scored a club-record 507 goals in 583 matches since his competitive debut in 2004.
The 30-year-old all-time club-record goalscorer has been linked to the Premier League with last year’s tax evasion case almost sending him into the arms of Manchester City but Barcelona have renewed vows with their greatest-ever player.
A club statement read: ‘FC Barcelona and Leo Messi have agreed on a contract renewal that will keep the Argentinian at the club until June 30th, 2021.
‘The deal will be signed in the coming weeks, when Messi returns to the team for pre-season training.
Messi will be 34 in June 2022 when the deal ends if he takes up the extra year. That optional season will not be subject to him playing a certain amount of games the season before.
