Barcelona boss says talks with Messi ‘progressing’
BARCELONA – Barcelona’s contract negotiations with Lionel Messi “are progressing as expected”, club president Joan Laporta told Spanish public television on Friday.
The Argentine superstar, who is currently at the Copa America, became a free agent on Thursday when his last contract with Barcelona expired.
“We want him to stay, Leo wants to stay and we are looking for the best formula,” said Laporta.
“We would like it to be concluded as quickly as possible but we know it will take time.”
Messi (34) joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old but tried to leave last August, citing a clause in his contract and a club that had had “no project or anything for a long time”.
He has inevitably been linked with a series of possible moves, from Manchester City and Paris St-Germain to
David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
Messi is currently more than 8 000km away from Catalonia, playing with the Argentina national team at the Copa America, and his father and agent Jorge Messi left Barcelona last week, making the exact timing of his potential signing still uncertain.
Nevertheless, recent developments mark a considerable turnaround since almost a year ago when Messi handed in a transfer request, believing he had an agreement that allowed him to leave for free.
Then Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu insisted they would hold him to a 700m euros release clause, however.
Bartomeu went on to resign in October, while Messi wanted to listen to the plans of his successor Laporta before deciding his future.