Barcelona vs.
Lionel Messi (1987-), Argentine footballer
The team is confident of retaining the player, and negotiations for a contract extension are in full swing. Salon president Joan Laporta has publicly stated that retaining the Argentine star is a top priority.
Lionel Messi is reportedly expected to extend his deal until 2023. According to leading transfer experts, it is only a matter of time before the six-time Ballon d'Or winner extends his contract with Salon.
However, Messi's contract extension with Barcelona was stalled for a while last summer. The player submitted a transfer request via burofax and confirmed the news in a subsequent interview. Fortunately, Messi ended up staying with the team after being persuaded by President Josep Maria Bartomeu. Nonetheless, his performances on the pitch have been inconsistent.
Despite this, Messi won the Pichichi Award for the 20/21 season for his outstanding performances and led Barcelona to the final of the Copa del Rey, beating Athletic Salon. However, the team narrowly missed out on the La Liga title, which exposed the internal discord within the team that was troubling Messi.
For Messi, his ultimate goal is to win the Champions League trophy again. And Barcelona has been aggressively bringing in reinforcements this summer in an effort to re-emerge as a true contender. Nonetheless, negotiations between Messi and Salon are going well and Barcelona officials expect the deal to be finalized soon.
