The famous Spanish program "El Chiringuito" reported that Argentine star Lionel Messi intends to stay with FC Barcelona for two more seasons, until 2023, at the same annual salary. Messi's future at Barcelona has stirred considerable controversy in recent hours, as reports have conflicted regarding the reality of his new contract signing.
The program clarified that Messi has agreed with Barcelona president Joan Laporta on the details of the new contract, and the Catalan team urgently needs to secure financial liquidity to contract the Argentine, implying that it will not make any new signings this summer. In contrast, Spanish radio station "Cadena SER" confirmed that Messi has not reached any agreement, as he is focused on the Argentine national team's journey in the "Copa America." It denied Barcelona's announcement of the contract renewal officially on Thursday evening, coinciding with Messi's 34th birthday, and a week before his current contract officially expires.
It is noteworthy that Lionel Messi, who began his career with the first team in Barcelona in 2004, caused a significant stir when he requested club management to allow him to leave for free by activating a clause in his contract that permits this. However, former president Josep Maria Bartomeu rejected his request due to the expiration of that clause and insisted on paying the release clause in his contract, which amounts to 700 million euros (824 million dollars), forcing the Argentine to stay.
