Barcelona Presidential candidate reveals future plans for Lionel Messi

Barcelona Presidential candidate Jordi Farre has revealed his plans to ensure that Lionel Messi extends his stay at the Camp Nou. The Argentinian, whose current contract expires in the summer of next year, was embroiled in a long dispute with the club hierarchy this summer.

Even though Messi seems to have put the summer behind him at the moment, it was clear that he might be considering a move away from Barcelona in the near future.

However, Jose Maria Bartomeu’s resignation from the post of club President could force the six-time Ballon d’Or winner to reconsider his stance. Messi did not enjoy the best of relations with Bartomeu, so his departure might help Barcelona keep hold of their prized asset.

Farre has hinted that a flexible agreement with Messi, which would allow him to return to childhood club Newell's Old Boys for one season and then come back to the Camp Nou, could be an option.

Barcelona will make Messi the new Michael Jordan, says Ferre

Ferre started by stating that Messi would have the freedom to play wherever he wants. However, he did talk of a desire to see Messi retire at Barcelona.

"Leo will play wherever he wants. I think we have to draw up an open contract which will allow him the chance to retire at any moment, when he sees fit. We would be delighted if he asks us if he can spend a year playing at Newell's, return and see out his playing days at Barcelona. In life, it's important to to show gratitude."

🐐 | Presidential candidate Jordi Farré wants Messi to sign a lifetime contact for both before and after he retires. He wants the player to spend his final season at Newell's then return to Barcelona as a brand ambassador like "the new Michael Jordan." [TyC] pic.twitter.com/yQioBdXnio

— La Senyera (@LaSenyera) October 31, 2020

Ferre also revealed that talks to ensure the Argentinian extended his stay at the Camp Nou would be initiated immediately. It would ensure everyone in Barcelona had "peace of mind" before the start of elections.

"We're not going to wait until the result of the election before talking to Leo's father. We are going to start work now so that by the time of the elections, we will have peace of mind that he is staying. We have a project for life underway for him. If we win, we will achieve what we set out to do, Leo will stay for as long as he wants."

Messi’s qualities demand a stellar contract, which takes a significant portion of the Barcelona revenue. Ferre believes that the answer to this is to make Messi the face of the club for years and help him earn astronomical salaries like Basketball legend Michael Jordan.

"Messi has to be the face of the club, whether that is a honorary president or ambassador, we will give him the opportunity to make money. We also have an economic project which would combine the Barcelona and Messi brands, but first we need to discuss that with him in person. It's a stunning project. We could make Messi the new Jordan."

📻 💬 Jordi Farré: "Messi will never leave the club. He has to be linked for life. Madrid knew how to take advantage of Di Stefano. He will earn more money being linked to Barça. Messi is the history of the club and must have a statue bigger than the stadium."

— FCBarcelonaFl 🏆 (@FCBarcelonaFl) October 28, 2020

It will be interesting to see where this story goes.