‘Messi Will Remain At Barcelona Beyond 2021’ – Bartomeu

Barcelona President, Josep Maria Bartomeu has expressed his confidence that Lionel Messi won’t be leaving Barcelona anytime soon.

Bartomeu suggests that the five-time Balon D’Or winner will extend his stay at the Camp Nou beyond the expiration of his current deal in 2021.

Even at the age of 32, when many players opt for less difficult leagues like the MLS, Messi has continued to set new benchmarks and standards of excellence both in the Laliga and the Champions League, with only two years left on his current contract.

There is a clause included in the Argentina International’s contract that he could leave Camp Nou at the end of each season for nothing. To cope with his departure, the Blaugranas are already putting things in place behind the scenes.

Bartomeu says he is confident that the Barcelona talisman will remain at the club longterm.

“Surely it will be the wish of all parties, if he [Messi] feels strong and ambitious, to extend this contract indefinitely,” the Barcelona president began.

“Ultimately it is he who must decide. He has earned the right to decide when he will stop playing football. But like he said a few weeks ago, he wants to finish his playing career at Barcelona.

“Over the next two or three seasons, our leader will continue to be Leo Messi. There’s no doubt that he is still young, still strong. He is still ambitious.

“So Leo Messi will still play with us for the next two, three, four or five years. I have no doubts about that.”

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Lionel Messi has regained physical fitness and is firing again for the Blaugranas after overcoming persistent injuries which plagued him at the start of the season.

The talismanic superstar scored a penalty and two freekicks to complete a hattrick in Barcelona’s 4-1 win over Celta Vigo as well as in the same process equal Ronaldo’s record of 54 hattricks scored in the Laliga.

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