£626m to land Messi

his deal yesterday, the Liga leaders confirmed, ending speculation that the five-times World Player of the Year could leave the club where he has spent his entire career for free next June.

City had been rumoured as a potential destination for Messi, who could have linked up with his old boss Pep Guardiola.

But any such deal now looks dead in the water.

Messi said: “I am happy. We’ve been waiting for some time to complete the signing and it was done today.

“I’m happy to continue with the club.

“My dream was to finish my career at Barca and we are moving down that path.”

A statement from the Catalan giants read: “FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi signed on Saturday morning a new contract that will keep the Argentine superstar at the club through the 2020-21 season.

“The buyout clause was set at 700million euros.”

That equates to just over £626m, way above the world record fee Paris Saint-Germain paid Barca for Neymar last summer.

Messi agreed his new contract in July but the club did not release the usual photo of the player putting pen to paper, fuelling talk he could go in June – when his previous deal ran out – for free.

Meanwhile, Valencia boss Marcelino has no special plan to try and stop Messi at the Mestalla.

His side go into the contest just four points behind Barcelona after eight straight victories.

Marcelino said: “No, I don’t think I have the key to stopping him because I’m not smarter than anyone and I do not play.

“We will try to make his participation as limited as possible but nobody has stopped him definitively and usually he gives his maximum performance.”