Barcelona are set to announce that Lionel Messi has signed a five-year deal to continue with the club, ditching the initial two-year extension that had been discussed.
The contract is structured to help the club stay within the boundaries of La Liga’s financial fair play regulations.
Messi is taking a significant salary cut but bonuses have been worked in and he is due to earn less this coming season than he will the season after as Barcelona wrestle with their finances.
There is an acceptance that Messi may not see out his contract given that he will be approaching his 39th birthday when the final season of the deal ends.
This, too, has been factored into the financial arrangement.
Messi’s future has never been in serious doubt even though he became a free agent at the end of June.
He has spent his whole career at Barcelona and held no talks with Paris Saint-Germain, who had an interest.
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The 34-year-old forward is recuperating after helping Argentina to win the Copa América in Brazil.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 years ago
