Barcelona are set to offer a blockbuster deal for the Argentine superstar and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi according to club president Josep Maria Bartomeu. The Catalans have reportedly vowed to make him the highest paid player in the world as they plan to open contract extension talks with the player over the course of the New Year. The player is expected to follow the suit of teammates Neymar and Luis Suarez who have penned new deals with the Blaugrana in recent months.
Messi’s current contract with the La Liga champions run out in 2018 but Bartomeu believes that the player is going nowhere and that he will commit his future to Barcelona. He also added that the player will be paid according to his status in the game, which is second to none according to the president.
"There are no doubts that sooner or later we will close [Messi's] renewal," Bartomeu said at a news conference on Tuesday to assess the calendar year.
"I hope that he ends his sporting career here and after that, I'm sure he will remain linked to the club. He is, without doubt, the best player in the history of the game and we will make a huge effort to renew his contract. Messi is a Barcelona player, he feels Barca in his heart. I need to sit down and talk with him and his representatives [in the New Year] and I think he's convinced he's in the best place. We are, too.”
"I don't want to talk about numbers really. If he's the best player in the world, though, then he should be the best player in the world in all aspects, even economically. That's all I will say on numbers."
Messi should win Ballon d’Or every year: Bartomeu
The club president also added that he believes that Messi is the greatest player in the world at the moment and that the player should be winning the Ballon d’Or every year if you look at his achievements. "For me, the Ballon d'Or should have been won by Messi every year. When you hear the rest of the world speak about him, there's no possible doubt. You don't need to be a Barca fan to recognise the merits of Messi the player. He's No. 1 without doubt,” Bartomeu said.
Bartomeu also added that the club is happy with Luis Enrique at the helm and that the club will be holding talks with him soon in an attempt to keep him at the Nou Camp for the years to come. "Around April we will focus on speaking with the manager," Bartomeu added, “Doing well on the pitch is the most important thing at the moment, but we would be delighted for him to continue with us. He's the manager that we want and he's helping us continue the successful cycle of recent years."
Barcelona are also expected to hold contracts with Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and Macr-Andre Ter Stegen in 2017 although Bartomeu refused to reveal specific details about it.
"The Rakitic situation is the same as with Ter Stegen and Iniesta," he said. "He's at a very high level and it's one of those cases we have to look at, but I won't say when or how."
Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly the world's top earner with a salary of around €430,000-per-week and this new deal could mean that Messi will eclipse yet another milestone.
