Lionel Messi to agree new deal with Barcelona this season

Barcelona’s Sporting director Robert Fernandez has insisted Lionel Messi is set to agree a new deal and extend his stay at the club.

There has been much media coverage and speculation regarding Lionel Messi’s international future. The 29-year-old had announced his retirement after ending the Copa Centenario as runners-up, losing to Chile on penalties. Messi missed his own penalty chance and seemed to have broken a million hearts with this announcement.

But the global icon made a U-turn, deciding to join the Argentine squad under new manager Edgardo Bauza and scored the only goal in their 1-0 win over Uruguay as part of their 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying campaign. The player is now reportedly set to sit out their next game against Venezuela but the Argentinian camp would nevertheless be happy with the return of the superstar’s presence within the setup.

Barcelona’s Sporting director Robert Fernandez talked to Spanish publication Sport in an exclusive and upon being asked about the situation surrounding the contract of the current players in the squad, he said, “This year there are a number of situations we need to solve. As was the case with Rafinha, [Sergio] Busquets, Neymar and [Javier] Mascherano, people said we wouldn’t reach an agreement, but in the end there were no problems.”

Fernandez was asked especially about the contract situation concerning Lionel Messi and whether Barcelona would face difficulties in renewing the Argentine’s contract at Nou Camp. He revealed that the club was confident of extending the 29-year-old’s stay at the club.

Fernandez said, “I’m delighted that he’s the No 1 in the world and that he’s with us. We will reach an agreement. I’m totally convinced. There’s no rush. This season we will reach an agreement. Like we did with Rafinha, Mascherano, Busi and Neymar.”

It seems Lionel Messi is set to dazzle Liga BBVA for some more years as Barcelona are eager to extend his current deal which is due to expire in 2018. Messi and Barcelona fans would be happy if and when the contract is extended as it would ensure, to an extent, that his future would not be the subject of much speculation in the near future.