Lionel Messi has indicated to President Joan Laporta that he will sign with Barcelona, Spanish journalist Miguel Rico reported. According to Rico, the 33-year-old Argentine will sign a one-year contract due to Barcelona’s limited options in terms of salary, although that commitment does include an option for another season.
The Spanish Cope reports that Messi, on the advice of the LaLiga organization, is ‘giving up a significant part of his salary’. The advice may have to do with the dire financial situation in which Barcelona now finds itself. Conditions may be reassessed next season and the attacker will have the option to sign for another season. Messi has an expiring contract (June 30) with Barcelona, which has led to speculation about his future. Recently, it has been reported that Barcelona was optimistic about the negotiations with Messi.
Eeeep! Messi comunica a Laporta que accepta la propuesta del Barca. Contrato Ok solo pendiente the firm. Cuando lo haga será de un año, por cuestiones del límite salarial, y sellará otro año más en 2022
— Miguel Rico (@MigRico) June 22, 2021
Earlier this month, Laporta said at a press conference that he wanted to complete the deal as soon as possible, but that the long wait has nothing to do with the financial assessments, contrary to current reports. “The contract does not depend on the audit. We are in consultation with Leo’s representatives. Negotiations are going well and we hope to continue to make progress,” said the club’s president.
On Tuesday afternoon, Barcelona received another warning from Javier Tebas, president of league organizer LaLiga, about contract negotiations with Messi. According to Tebas, the Catalan superpower must very quickly put the salary system in order to ensure that Lionel Messi can be registered for the 2021/22 season. Like many clubs, Barcelona has been hit hard by the corona crisis, with a debt that had risen to almost a billion euros in January. With Messi’s concession, the long-awaited deal now seems to be coming.