Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele of FC Barcelona throughout a match in opposition to Sevilla on February 23, 2019Eric Verhoeven | Soccrates | Getty
Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele of FC Barcelona throughout a match in opposition to Sevilla on February 23, 2019
Eric Verhoeven | Soccrates | Getty Pictures
Lionel Messi has reached a verbal settlement on a five-year contract extension at Barcelona, together with his wage to be lowered by 50% underneath phrases of the brand new deal.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner was formally a free agent as of July 1 after he didn’t agree phrases over a renewal earlier than his earlier Barcelona contract expired on June 30.
Earlier in July, Messi led Argentina to the Copa America title because of a 1-Zero win within the closing in opposition to hosts Brazil, bringing an finish to his anticipate a primary main worldwide trophy.
The 34-year-old has now agreed to remain on at his boyhood membership for an additional 5 years, which means he will likely be 39 by the point his new deal runs out – when he can have totaled 26 years on the membership’s books.
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Messi sparked an acrimonious switch row in August final yr, when he formally knowledgeable the membership his want to activate a clause in his contract which might have seen him go away free of charge.
Nevertheless, La Liga president Javier Tebas and Josep Maria Bartomeu – Barcelona president on the time – blocked the transfer, indicating that the clause was solely energetic till June 10 and any suitor must pay his €700m launch clause in full.
“I believed and we had been positive that I might be a free agent,” Messi instructed Objective.
“The president all the time instructed me that I might determine to remain or go on the finish of the season they usually’re now clinging to the truth that I hadn’t stated something by June 10, when it seems that on June 10 the La Liga season was nonetheless ongoing and we had been within the midst of this virus and this sickness that altered the entire fixture calendar.
“And that is the explanation why I am staying on on the membership. I am now staying as a result of the president instructed me that the one approach I might go away was by paying the €700m launch clause, which is unattainable.”
Bartomeu went on to resign in October, whereas Messi needed to hearken to the plans of his successor Joan Laporta earlier than deciding his future.
Manchester Metropolis and Paris Saint-Germain have been the front-running golf equipment thinking about signing him. Messi additionally desires to in the future play in MLS.