Barcelona to lock in Messi

BARCELONA forward Lionel Messi is set to sign a new contract to keep him at the La Liga club until 2021 with the option of a further one-year extension.

The Argentina international, a five-times Ballon d’Or winner, has been at Barcelona for close to two decades after rising through their youth system to become one of the most successful players in the world.

The 30-year-old’s new release clause is reported to have risen to 300 million euros ($447 million).