July 15 – After all manner of speculation stretching back several weeks, Lionel Messi is set to stay at Barcelona until 2026, effectively the end of his career, despite taking a 50% wage cut according to Spanish reports.
Messi, who became a free agent when his contract expired on June 30 and who had been linked with both Manchester City and Paris St Germain, has reportedly reached a verbal agreement to stay at the Nou Camp.
That means the 34-year-old will have totalled 26 years on the club’s books by the time he finishes
Since Joan Laporta took over as Barca president, Barca has been trying to reduce their wage bill in order to keep Messi.
The Argentine 6-time Ballon d’Or winner, Barcelona’s record scorer with 672 goals, sparked an acrimonious transfer row in August last year, when he officially informed the club his wish to activate a clause in his contract which would have seen him leave for free.
However, La Liga president Javier Tebas and Josep Maria Bartomeu – Barcelona president at the time – blocked the move, indicating that the clause was only active until June 10 and any suitor would have to pay his €700 million release clause in full.
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