Transfer Centre

Barcelona's contract talks with Lionel Messi "going very well"

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 24 January 2017

Barcelona are confident of seeing Lionel Messi sign a contract extension beyond the end of next year, according to the club's technical secretary Robert Fernandez.

Barcelona technical secretary Robert Fernandez has reiterated that ongoing talks with superstar forward Lionel Messi over a new contract are progressing well.

The Argentina international, who has again proved key this season with 25 goals and five assists, has yet to commit beyond next year when his current deal expires.

Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu suggested last month that Messi deserved to become the highest-paid player on the planet, surpassing the recent pay packets handed to the likes of Carlos Tevez and Oscar in the Chinese Super League, but La Liga rules restrict how much can be spent on wages.

Barcelona have been working hard on trying down the 29-year-old for the long term, though, with Fernandez confident that terms will soon be agreed with Messi for the first time in three years.

"Leo's renovation is going very well, very well," he told RAC1. "I'm very relaxed, as I was before with [Javier] Mascherano, [Sergio] Busquets, [Luis] Suarez or Neymar.

"And I am now with Messi, as I am with Andres Iniesta or [Marc-Andre] ter Stegen. We're working and I'm convinced that they'll continue with Barca.

"It doesn't matter much who will be the first to renew. There will be people who want to poison the situation, but we've been working on this issue for a long time."

Recent reports suggested that Manchester City are preparing a summer move for Messi following chief executive Oscar Grau's admission that offering big-money wages could be a problem for Barcelona.