Barcelona intend to extend Lionel Messi’s contract
The Barcelona board is aiming to keep Lionel Messi at the club for a few more seasons even though his current contract has a number of years left on it.
Lionel Messi continues to be the key man for Barcelona with his remarkable level of consistency creatively and in front of goal. He has 11 goals in all competitions with five of them coming in the Champions League as he put in top displays against PSV Eindhoven and Tottenham Hotspur. The departure of Andres Iniesta means he has now taken over the reins as captain of the team.
Replacing him will be an impossible task for the club due to him being the pivotal piece in the team’s system as he contributes in a number of areas. His impact on the team could be seen when he came on as a substitute in the match against Athletic Bilbao and instantly changed the game to salvage a point, which was reminiscent of the Sevilla match last season.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the board is aiming to extend the Argentine’s contract until 2022 or 2023. His current contract runs until 2021, although there is a special clause which would allow him to leave for free to join a club in a minor league from 2020 onwards such Xavi and Andres Iniesta did. Any top club aiming to get him would have to pay a €700 million release clause. The plan is to start next talks next season.
An extension until 2023 would mean he was 36-years-old when it ends, but Messi’s vast skillset and ability means he’s still likely to be at a high level even at that age. He’s likely to play in a deeper role as he gets older with deep-lying playmaker being the likely option.
His professional approach off the pitch in regards to keeping himself as fit as possible through nutrition and exercise as well as other areas makes a career at the top level into his late 30s a real possibility. However, injuries could end up becoming a problem as time catches up with his body because he has been playing at a ridiculously high level since he was 17. A future without Messi is something cules don’t want to think about, but 36 would be a good age for him to move on and complete his desire to retire at Newell’s Old Boys, which was the club he trained at as a youngster.
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Messi has exceeded expectations throughout his career with his sheer consistency because he has scored at least 40 goals in 10 consecutive years as well as having the record for most in a calendar year with 91 in 2012. His brilliance is unmatched and he could continue to surprise by staying at the top level late into his 30s by adapting his game. He has shown previously that he can add to his game such as how he has become a top playmaker as well as an expert free kick taker, which weren’t areas he was known for early in his career.