Joan Laporta president of FC Barcelona is exploring ways to retain Lionel Messi. The Barcelona president will offer the forward a three-year contract offer.
Barcelona could no longer afford to pay Messi what he is currently making, around €75 million net annually. So, the club is looking for alternate solutions to retain the beloved superstar. One of the solutions that the club is currently going to try is to offer a longer contract, which will allow them to compensate Messi over several years to make up for the salary reduction. That is the reason behind Laporta offering the forward a two-year contract with an option for another year.
The Argentinian superstar has preferred the idea of signing a year-to-year contract so he is able to make a choice to stay or leave after each year, depending on the club’s state and his own feelings. Furthermore, Messi has spoken about the idea of playing in the United States’ Major League Soccer before he retires. “I always had the dream of being able to enjoy and have the experience of living in the United States and experience what the league there is like,” Messi said.
Last year, the Argentinian made headlines when he announced his intention to leave Barcelona. Both Manchester City and Paris-Saint Germain were immediate pursuers of Messi, but a potential legal battle by Barcelona prevented the star from leaving. However, Messi had still said that he would look to leave when his contract expires in June. Manchester City and Paris-Saint Germain are currently monitoring the situation with hopes that the superstar does not stay with Barca.
However, Laporta is confident that they will re-sign the Argentinian superstar. The club president is confident that the team’s Copa del Rey final win last Saturday convinced the star to stay. The club president is exploring a way to bring either Neymar or Erling Haaland to Barcelona, so Messi will be convinced to re-sign.
However, right now, the Argentinian superstar is focused on playing and giving it his all.
Time will tell how this situation plays out. It would be massive news if Messi did end up leaving Barcelona for another elite team. Stay tuned for more updates.
