Lionel Messi – La Liga: Lionel Messi is a free agent from today, contract with Barcelona expired yesterday
LIONEL MESSI – Football Transfer: Lionel Messi’s Barcelona contract expires yesterday and the world’s top football player is free-agent from today. There…
LIONEL MESSI – Football Transfer: Lionel Messi’s Barcelona contract expires yesterday and the world’s top football player is free-agent from today. There are still ‘several issues’ that need to be sorted before he puts pen to paper on a new deal. Currently Messi is busy playing Copa America for Argentina.
LIONEL MESSI – Where is he heading? No one knows where Messi is heading Will it be Barcelona again, will it be Manchester City or Paris St-Germain – no one knows his next destination for now. One of the world’s greatest players is now officially a free agent.
ALSO READ: La Liga President issues warning to Barcelona, ‘reduce wage bill or lose Lionel Messi’
Lionel Messi – La Liga: Lionel Messi is a free agent from today, contract with Barcelona expired yesterday
Messi officially became a Barca player on January 8, 2001 & signed his first professional terms in June 2005.
But as of today, for the first time in more than 20 years, Messi will not be under contract at the Nou Camp with the latest paperwork sealed in November 2017 expired.
12 months on from his aborted attempted to leave Barcelona, Messi actually is now out of contract.
The Argentine superstar’s deal expired at midnight and despite months of rumour and conjecture, he has failed to commit to an extension.
Lionel Messi – Is he signing with Barcelona again?
Talks over a new contract are believed to be ongoing, meaning Messi may well decide to stay at the Nou Camp.
But, for now – he is out of the contract.
Spanish football writer Guillem Balague said earlier this week that Barcelona had raised the level of urgency, in contract talks, with the hopes of making an announcement of a new two-year deal before the start of July.
“Messi’s contract renewal is new president Joan Laporta’s main priority and he is currently negotiating it directly with Messi’s father and representative, Jorge Messi,” he said.
“To be able to keep the Argentine, the club will have to reduce their wage bill by around 200m euros (£172m) to meet La Liga’s Financial Fair Play requirements.
ALSO READ: La Liga: La Liga 2021/22 season confirmed to start on August 14
“Messi knows of the interest from other clubs, but up to now has not negotiated anything with them, waiting first to hear what Barcelona were offering.”
The 34-year-old has been linked with moves to Paris St-Germain and Manchester City, where he would be reunited with his former boss at Barcelona Pep Guardiola, as well as America’s Major League Soccer.
He is currently in Brazil playing for Argentina at the Copa America and became their most-capped player when he made his 148th international appearance against Bolivia on Tuesday, scoring twice in their 4-1 win.
Messi is now due to play quarter-finals of Copa America for Argentina vs Ecuador on Saturday night.
