Barcelona club management is preparing for the negotiations to renew the contract of Argentine star Lionel Messi later this month. This comes a year before the end of the current decade.
The Spanish newspaper "Marca" reported that Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeo earlier tried to start negotiations on extending Messi's contract beyond the year 2021, but was postponed for various reasons.
The newspaper expected that the two parties will start preliminary talks during the next week, with the bulk of the negotiations postponed until the next season.
Bartomeo will personally lead the Barcelona delegation to the talks alongside CEO Oscar Grau, while Messi will represent his father and business agent Jorge.
According to the newspaper, Messi is committed to keeping the clause in his current contract, which allows him to cancel his contract at the end of each season.
The Argentine star, who will be celebrating his 33rd birthday this year, seeks to ensure that he is with Barcelona as long as he is able and in good health.