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Barcelona remain in talks with Lionel Messi about extending his contract at the club and are confident the captain will stay at the Camp Nou.
President Josep Maria Bartomeu spoke to TV3 about the Argentina international’s future and expects the 33-year-old to see out his career with the Catalan giants.
“We’ve spoken, we are speaking and we will continue to speak with Messi. He wants to finish his career here, we will definitely renew with him, I am in no doubt that he will stay here.”
Messi’s current contract expires at the end of next season. Manu Carreno at Cadena SER has reported the Argentine is considering leaving the club when his contract finishes after becoming frustrated with life at the Camp Nou.
Messi Still Vital For Barcelona
Barcelona will be keen to secure Messi’s future quickly given his continued importance to the team. The captain hit another new landmark in Saturday’s win over Real Valladolid that highlights his continued brilliance.
Lionel Messi is the first player in LaLiga history to score 20+ goals and provide 20+ assists in a single season.
Cue the fireworks. 🎇🎆
Manager Quique Setien admitted after the match that Messi is in need of a rest, after playing every minute of his team’s La Liga campaign since the competition resumed in June, but that he’s too important to take off.
“Of course [Messi needs a rest]. I’ve said it before, but the score was too tight. If we’d have scored more goals in the first half, maybe more players would’ve been rested. The team was tired.
Messi remains top of the goalscoring and assists charts in La Liga heading into the final week of the 2019-20 season and looks in good shape to win the Pichichi award for a record seventh time.
What Next for Messi and Barcelona?
Messi’s thoughts about his future may depend on what happens at Barcelona between now and the start of next season. The team has two league games left in La Liga but look set to relinquish their title to Real Madrid.
Barca will then turn their attentions to the Champions League where they face a second leg tie with Napoli. If Barca were to win they would progress to the last eight of the tournament and a game against either Bayern Munich or Chelsea.
The club will also be looking to strengthen their aging squad during the transfer window. Young stars such as Francisco Trincao and Pedri are already set to arrive, while moves for Lautaro Martinez and Neymar have also been rumored but will be difficult to achieve.
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