The six-time Ballon d’Or winner has finally agreed to a new contract with his old club – FC Barcelona on Wednesday. Lionel Messi is likely to sign the contract extension in the coming weeks. Messi has been associated with Barca since he was 13 years old. Given the new contract, he will complete 26 years with Barcelona if he stays on until 2026.
According to reports, Messi has agreed to take a 50 percent pay cut compared to his previous contract, which was worth more than 125 million euros per season, while continuing his playing career until 2026 at least.
Messi’s last contract paid him $674 million over the four-year term ($168.5 million per year). However, the new deal is expected to pay him close to $85 million per year and over $420 million for the five-year duration. The club is likely to make the official announcement very soon.
I thought and we were sure that I’d be a free agent: Messi
“The president always told me that I could decide to stay or go at the end of the season. And they’re now clinging to the fact that I hadn’t said anything by June 10. But, when it turns out that on June 10 the La Liga season was still ongoing. At that time we were in the midst of this virus. And this illness that altered the whole fixture calendar.”
“And that’s the reason why I’m staying on at the club. I’m now staying because the president told me that the only way I could leave was by paying the €700m release clause, which is impossible.” The 34-year-old added (To Skysports)
Previously, there were few reports saying Paris Saint-German (PSG) and Manchester City have shown interest in signing him.