Messi, Barcelona agree on new contract

PanARMENIAN.Net - Lionel Messi's new contract with Barcelona has been 'agreed and signed' with the forward's signature and an official photograph the last piece of the puzzle required, claims president Josep Maria Bartomeu, The Daily Mail reports.

Messi's contract expires at the end of the season and the shock departure of Neymar has fans fearing the worst, thus putting pressure on Bartomeu and the Barcelona board.

But the under-fire chief insisted 'nobody' should be worrying about the future of Messi, claiming a new deal has already been agreed with his father and will be active once he puts pen to paper.

'Messi's renewal? It has all been agreed and signed,' Bartomeu told Diario Sport.

'All that is missing is Leo's signature for protocol and an official photograph, but his father has signed the image rights contract while the Messi Foundation contract is also finalised.

'We're relaxed as everything is ready and the contract will be valid from June 30 this year – everything is in place.

'Nobody should be worried, it has been a busy schedule with a lot of games but we will find the right moment, although I can't tell you an exact time.'

The loss of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain and the failure to sign Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool has whipped up a storm with Messi's uncertain future only throwing more fuel on the fire.

Messi himself has been disappointed with goings on at the Nou Camp and is concerned that a picture shaking hands with Bartomeu will hand the president his very own seal of approval, something he is not willing to hand out at the moment.