Barcelona Transfer News: Latest Lionel Messi Contract Talk, Blaugrana Rumours
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is reportedly set to stay at the club despite speculation about a possible departure, and he is said to be using interest from Manchester City to help secure a better contract at the Camp Nou.
According to Antony Kastrinakis of the Sun, the 29-year-old has taken time before committing to a new deal with his current employers, waiting for key team-mates and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo to sign extensions—the latter is said to earn £45 million a year as part of his new deal, while Messi's new terms could be worth as much as £55 million annually.
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Kastrinakis has suggested Ronaldo's wage is the benchmark for Messi, as Barcelona look to renew his deal, which is set to expire in 2018. It’s added that while City desperately want the Argentina international, “he will use them to make sure Barcelona pay top Euro to keep him.”
A report from Simon Mullock in the Sunday Mirror suggested City were ready to “break the bank” to sign the Barcelona No. 10, and the player was keen to link up with former manager Pep Guardiola, who has taken on the job at the Etihad Stadium.
While Messi has more than a year to run on his contract, such is his importance to the Barcelona cause, it’s understandable that Cules are growing a little nervous about his situation.
Per sports journalist Sergi Dominguez, even with a galaxy of world-class stars at the Camp Nou, Messi is so vital to the way Barcelona operate:
Indeed, since making his debut for the club in 2004, Messi has cemented his status as one of the greatest players ever in the eyes of most Blaugrana supporters. Not only has he fired Barca to eight La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League successes, he’s enchanted football fans around the globe with his mastery of the ball.
Losing Messi would be catastrophic for the Camp Nou club. The forward has become synonymous with the Catalan giants, having scored so many goals and sampled so many triumphs in their colours. That status in itself is leverage for the player in agreeing a new deal.
City’s reported interest in the player further strengthens his position, as does Real Madrid’s willingness to show faith in Ronaldo for another five years at the age of 31. Plus, incumbent Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu will be desperate to avoid being the man under whose leadership Messi departed.
“We're all convinced, we're all positive Leo Messi will end his sporting career in Barca,” Bartomeu said recently, per PA Sport (h/t ESPN FC). “All the members of Barca believe this is how it has to be, because he is the player that in the last few years has brought us sporting success.”
Having accomplished so much at Barcelona with the team and on an individual basis, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Messi were keen to take on some new challenges. Doing so at City, where he’d be paid a handsome amount and working under a familiar figure in Guardiola, would have its merits.
Nevertheless, Messi has always looked satisfied with life at Barcelona. Not only does he continue to perform to an extraordinary standard, the team challenges for the biggest honours and he plays alongside a clutch of world-class stars. It’s tough to see the novelty of those perks fading for a long time yet.
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