What’s the story?
Lionel Messi has rejected Barcelona's first proposal of a new contract according to AS. The Spanish Publication reports that the offer was worth around €30 to €35 million euros per season.
Despite the rejection, AS suggest that the Argentine superstar will sign a contract at the club once they agree to his terms. Messi's father, who also acts as his agent, is in constant talks with the club regarding the new deal.
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In case you didn’t know...
Messi's contract at Camo Nou expires at the end of the 2017/18 season. This means that he will be able to walk away for free at the end of the next season and also sign a pre-contract with any club from January 2018.
Though Messi is not expected to do that, Barcelona still fear that a Premier League side might manage to turn his head. Manchester City, coached by one of the Argentine's favourite managers, Pep Guardiola is the one feared the most by Blaugrana.
The heart of the matter
Barcelona put forward a contract offer of around €30 to €35 million a season to Messi, but the Argentine has refused to accept it. Reports say that the forward wants to earn nearly €45 million a season.
Other reports suggest that Messi is just waiting for a new coach to be appointed before committing his future to the club. Meanwhile, publications in the United Kingdom believe that the Argentine is more curious on seeing the players the club signs in the summer than the new manager.
Reliable reports in Spain suggest that the contract talks between Messi's father and Barcelona are still going on despite the initial rejection. The forward wants to remain at the Camp Nou after the 2017/18 season but is in no hurry to sign the new contract.
What’s next?
Barcelona will try and negotiate a few more times with Messi before eventually agreeing to his terms. The player knows how valuable he is to them and will hold out for his demands.
The board, however, believe that Messi would want to return to Argentina soon and finish his career at Newell's Old Boys. Messi himself has openly admitted that he would want to retire there.
Author’s Take
Messi rejecting a contract offer from Barcelona is nothing new. Every single time he's signed a new contract, the first 2-3 offers from the club were dismissed. It's going to be the same thing yet again.
