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Lionel Messi will not return to Barcelona's pre-season training sessions just yet as he is yet to put pen to his new Blaugrana contract, according to a report from Forbes.
Barcelona have made a wonderful start to their pre-season, winning three games so far. New arrival Memphis Depay has gelled well alongside Antoine Griezmann as manager Ronald Koeman looks to add another spark to Barcelona's forward line.
However, the Catalan giants will have to do without their captain Messi for the time being. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has been a free agent for nearly a month now. Despite the delay in the proceedings, Barcelona president Joan Laporta is still confident Messi will sign a new deal soon.
Laporta eased Barcelona fans' worries by saying:
“Everything is going well as planned. Everything is progressing properly, everything is going well.”
Lionel Messi is currently on a holiday in Ibiza, Spain along with his friend and former Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez.
Lionel Messi will miss reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo when Barcelona face Juventus
Barcelona are due to face Serie A side Juventus in the upcoming Joan Gamper Trophy. The pre-season trophy is an annual competition organized by Barcelona ahead of their La Liga campaign.
Due to a stalemate in contract talks, Lionel Messi is not expected to take part in the ritual tournament. This will mean he will miss the chance to play against his all-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo. Juventus are expecting the return of both Ronaldo and Messi's Argentine teammate Paulo Dybala.
Barcelona, on the other hand, will welcome the arrival of new signings Sergio Agüero and Emerson Royal to their pre-season training on Monday (August 2).
The Joan Gamper Trophy also has a tradition where the Barcelona captain addresses the crowd to share the club's future ambitions. This is something Lionel Messi has previously done before as well.
The annual pre-season competition will take place on the 8th of August. This effectively gives Barcelona just six days to get Messi to sign a new deal, which is highly optimistic. The Catalan giants play their first La Liga game against Real Sociedad at the Nou Camp on the 15th of August 2021.
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