Barcelona Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Lionel Messi and Paulo Dybala

Spanish outlets are denying rumours the father of Barcelona star Lionel Messi has been in contact with Paris Saint-Germain, while Juventus starlet Paulo Dybala is closing in on a contract renewal that will double his wages and likely keep him in Turin for the foreseeable future.

RTL France (h/t Marca) previously reported PSG director of football Patrick Kluivert had been in talks with Jorge Messi, the Barcelona star's father and agent, with more regular meetings planned for the future to discuss the possibility of a transfer.

Catalan-based daily Sport refuted the report, however, and wrote instead that Jorge Messi is expected to meet with Barcelona regarding a contract extension for his son:

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The father of the Blaugrana crack is currently in Argentine and it is forecast that he will visit Barcelona this week to watch the Clasico at Camp Nou. On his agenda is meeting Barcelona's chiefs to discuss Messi's contract renewal at the club.

The supposed meeting between Kluivert and Jorge Messi is the latest rumour that is circulating with regards to the Argentine No 10. RTL had claimed that PSG would intensify contact in the coming weeks to try to convince Messi to leave when his deal with Barcelona ends in June 2018. The reality is rather different.

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Transfer chatter surrounding the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has become a regular thing over the years, with a variety of Spanish and foreign media seemingly always linking Messi with a move to a different club.

Such rumours tend to intensify close to a Clasico, as the Spanish papers ramp up the pressure by publishing numerous―often controversial―stories about Barcelona and Real Madrid.

ESPN FC's Sam Marsden provided a similar explanation regarding the recent Isco rumours:

Messi is a La Masia product and the face of the Blaugrana. He's the club's most important player by some distance and likely already the greatest forward in the long history of the team. Barcelona will do everything possible to ensure he never leaves, and Messi has few reasons to do so.

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At the Camp Nou, the 29-year-old plays with some of the best attackers in the world in a system he knows better than most. The quick ball movement suits his playing style perfectly, and he's been enormously successful with the club.

It makes little sense to risk all of that for a foreign adventure at a club like PSG, who haven't won a single European trophy since emerging as one of the new superpowers on the continent.

The Catalans are quite certain Messi isn't going anywhere:

The same likely holds true for a man frequently compared to Messi, Juventus' Dybala. The Argentinian is seen as a possible replacement for his compatriot at Barcelona at some point in the future, and as reported by So Foot (h/t Sport, via Marsden), he confirmed the Catalans tried to buy him last summer.

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Dybala has so far pledged his allegiance to the Bianconeri and maintained he's perfectly happy in Turin, and per Tuttosport (h/t Calciomercato), the two sides have agreed on terms of a new contract that will more than double his salary to €5 million per year.

The 23-year-old has been a smash hit since arriving at the Juventus Stadium in the summer of 2015, enjoying a sensational first season with his new club.

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

It's no coincidence Juventus have struggled of late with Dybala sidelined; the shifty forward is already their most creative attacking outlet, and he's been sorely missed.

The contract extension should ensure Dybala stays with Juventus for the foreseeable future, although the likes of Barcelona will continue to monitor him.