Lionel Messi's future has always been a talking point as a host of clubs have lined up in recent years to lure the best player in the world away from Camp Nou. Not many can actually afford to price him away from the Catalan giants but recently there were a lot of rumours going on in Spanish papers about Messi wanting to leave Barcelona and search for greener pastures.
A recent report has suggested that the Argentine and the club will hold contract talks after their game with rivals, Real Madrid and it is expected that the Catalans are offering Messi 'a contract for life'.
Lionel Messi has been the catalyst of Barcelona's success over the years and the club are looking to tie him down on a long contract to put an end to all the rumours. His current contract runs out in the summer of 2018 and there were also a lot of talks ongoing that the 29-year-old will leave Nou Camp on a Bosman transfer.
In a recent report in the Spanish newspaper Sport, it is being said that the two parties are set for contract talks after the much awaited El Clasico on December 3.
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The newspaper had a headline on Saturday which read ‘Cumbre Barca-Messi Tras El Clasico' which translates to 'Summit Barca-Messi after El Clasico'. It was written that Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has started talks with Lionel Messi's father, Jorge who is also the player's agent. Despite all rumours, Messi has suggested a number of times that he is very happy at his club which he termed as 'the best in the world'.
In a recent Adidas event held in Barcelona, Messi was quipped as saying, "I'm in the best club in the world which does not depend on one player. We have a great team and current I'm not thinking about the new contract. In today's football more than ever you need a team that is in order. A team which is organised that knows how to move on the pitch. For me, order is the most important thing."
Pep Guardiola, the Argentine's former coach with whom he won three La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey cups and two Champions Leagues, also wished that Messi would end his career with Barcelona. In a recent press conference, Guardiola said, "I told you more than once that Messi will stay at Barcelona and he will finish his career at Barcelona. It's my wish. I wish that he goes from the beginning to the end at Barcelona."
