Star will see out remainder of contract
Barcelona star Lionel Messi will see out his current Barcelona contract after deciding against a renewal.
The Argentinian superstar is thought to have made this decision over the summer, according to Spanish media.
Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has recently sealed extensions for a number of key players at the Nou Camp, including Sergio Busquets, Neymar and Javier Mascherano.
But meanwhile, stars such as Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen are all waiting for improved deals.
Bartomeu claimed last month that he isn’t worried about Messi’s future, and will begin negotiations with one of the world’s best player in January.
“We will have negotiations with Messi in the next couple of months,” he told The Telegraph.
“Right now Leo Messi has a contract to the end of the Russian World Cup [in 2018] and we are very happy with him. Very happy. He’s the best player in the world, by far.
“I don’t know what will happen in the future but of course we will always try to explain to him that he is at the best club in the world and this is the best place for him to live and he is living the best experience of his life with us.
“He is still only 29. And if you see him playing it seems like he is one of our very young players. Leo Messi reinvented himself two years ago and changed the way he played and he is a better player now than he was then, a much better player.
“So normally players increase and then reduce but he is still growing. So where are the limits? We don’t know.”
