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Lionel Messi
Photo: Albert Gea / REUTERS
Will Lionel Messi stay with FC Barcelona?
According to the Spanish newspapers “Sport” from Barcelona and “Marca” from Madrid that is the case: Messi is said to have agreed with the heavily indebted top club to extend his contract by five years.
There is no confirmation of these reports so far.
A contract should not be signed either, but, as the newspapers write, there is probably a "fundamental agreement."
Now the lawyers of the 34-year-old superstar are supposed to examine the contract.
So it could take a while before there will be an official announcement.
Messi's contract with the Catalans expired this summer, so he could have joined another club for free.
Last year there had been a confrontation between the club and Messi when the latter wanted to switch but the club refused to let him go.
Messi bowed to the club's will because he didn't want to let it come down to a legal dispute.
According to "Sport" and "Marca", Messi should now forego 50 percent of his previous salary.
Barcelona owe more than a billion euros.
According to the media, the exceptional player, who won the Copa America in Rio de Janeiro with Argentina on Saturday with a 1-0 final victory over arch rivals Brazil, wants to set an "example for other players" with his drastic salary cut.
The transfer fee of the veteran is to be fixed at 350 million euros in the event of an early change.
It is by no means certain whether Messi would actually wear the Barça dress for another five years.
After all, he would be 39 years old at the end of the contract.
bka / sid