According to TV3, the first meeting between FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta and Messi’s father and agent Jorge Messi ended with good feelings.
The big question for Barça fans all season has been whether Leo Messi will renew his contract with Barça. Sources from TV3 have been able to find out the details of Jorge Messi’s first meeting with president Joan Laporta to lay the groundwork for continuing to play with the Barça shirt. It remains to be seen whether these conditions can be met.
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta and Jorge Messi, the Argentine footballer’s father, had lunch last week to talk about the future of the Barça captain. The meeting highlighted the good intentions that exist at this time on both sides to achieve a possible renewal for the Barça captain.
Laporta did not make any financial offer because until mid-May he will not know the result of the four audits that the club has commissioned to know the real situation of the club’s economy. However, he has asked the Barça captain for generosity, bearing in mind that the forecasts are not very optimistic in the near future.
According to TV3, Messi would be very open to the possibility of signing an imaginative long-term contract with the following three stages:
Two more seasons at the Camp Nou
Messi would play two more seasons at the Camp Nou with the intention of reaching 2022 in full form at the World Cup in Qatar, the last chance to achieve his old dream of making Argentina the world champions.
Barça’s ambassador to the United States
In the second stage, the Argentine would fulfill the desire to extend his career in the United States. Messi would like to play in Miami, the franchise owned by David Beckham, and where he also hopes to play again with Luis Suarez. Messi would also become Barça’s ambassador with the aim of closing down some strategic projects for Laporta’s board.
A position in Barça’s organizational chart
Once the experience in the United States is over, Messi would return to Barça to join the club’s sports structure.
With this plan, Leo Messi would agree to reduce his wages by 50%, from next season until the end of the deal. This would allow Laporta to keep ‘the best footballer in the world’ at Barça and try to sign a future star, if possible, Norwegian wonderkid Erling Haaland. Within the club, it is well known that Jorge Messi has always negotiated with Barça, prioritizing a competitive team over money.
Indeed, Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola spoke about the future of Leo Messi and made it clear that “Messi will not find a better habitat than at Barça” in an interview with TV3. Former Barça captain Xavi Hernández also spoke from Qatar and made it clear that “Barça had to do very badly for Messi to not feel happy”. New negotiations are expected to try to close Messi’s desired renewal.
Meanwhile, PSG have already presented their first offer to Leo Messi. According to journalist Marcelo Bechler on TNT Sports Brasil, the Parisian club have offered the Argentine star a two-season contract with an optional third.
