Lionel Messi will be the world's highest-paid player, reveals Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu

Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Josep Maria Bartomeu reveals that Lionel Messi will soon be the highest paid player.

Lionel Messi could become the highest-paid player in the coming weeks as Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is ready to offer Messi a better contract ahead of their upcoming Copa Del Rey final, according to the Telegraph.

“We are in the midst of the season, so it is not the moment to be negotiating with him, but it is the moment to talk to the agents and with his father and that is what we are doing,” Bartomeu said. “We will talk with them about how we see the player. He is our star and he has a contract until 2018 because we want him to participate in our future, but there is the will within the club that he becomes the best paid player in the world.”

Under his current contract with Barcelona that expires in 2018, Messi is earning £260,000 a week which roughly estimates to £8.75?million a year. The Argentine, however, is not satisfied with his current wage, and has been demanding an improved deal that would see him earn £336,000 a week.

“He is the number one and, as we have said various times, he also deserves to be the best paid player in the world. We all want Messi to be the best-paid player in the world and that is what we are working on,” Bartomeu said. “Right now we are concentrating on the competitions we are in but it will happen soon.”

“Nobody here wants to sell Messi. You cannot sell Leo. He arrived here when he was 13 and he is one of ours,” he added.

Reports suggests that his father and agent, Jorge Messi will be sitting down with Bartomeu next week to finalise the new contract that will make Messi the highest paid footballer in the world overtaking Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo who is on a £17.5 million pay.

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Edited by Staff Editor