Barcelona and Lionel Messi open talks over two-year contract

La Liga Santander - FC Barcelona v RCD Mallorca - Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - December 7, 2019 Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their fifth goal to complete his hat-trick [REUTERS/Albert Gea]

Talks are reportedly underway between Barcelona and Lionel Messi over a new contract.

Both sides have taken their time over a new deal and allowed a clause permitting a one-year extension to his current contract – which runs until June 2021 – to expire earlier this month.

The delay had briefly raised the possibility that the Argentine could walk away from the Camp Nou next summer on a free transfer, perhaps even to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Though that precise scenario now looks extremely unlikely, Messi would still have the option to terminate his new contract – at no personal cost to the player – at the end of any season.

The negotiations are being carried out by FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu and Jorge Messi, the Blaugrana captain’s dad, according to Spanish sports newspaper MARCA.

The discussions are reported to be progressing well, with the length of the contract and the base salary agreed in principle and the rest expected to be thrashed out over the summer.

The La Liga champions are believed to have offered Messi an additional two-year deal, which would see him through to 2023 – by which time he’ll have spent 22 of his 35 years at the club.

Messi is likely to keep his £500,000 weekly pay packet despite the financial trouble Barcelona are suffering due to coronavirus, though the entire squad took a 70% cut during lockdown.

Barcelona fell into an internal crisis earlier this year after Messi fell out publicly with its sporting director and former left-back Eric Abidal over the sacking of manager Ernesto Valverde.

Yet, the onset of the pandemic quickly put the scale of their dispute into context.

The Catalan giants are facing a struggle to save 200million euros (£181million) from their annual budget, having missed out on much-needed revenue from matchdays and tourism.

Their position at the top of La Liga is looking as precarious as their finances, with Real Madrid closing in on Quique Setien’s side who were held to a goalless draw by Sevilla on Friday.