Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu
has told ESPN FC that star player Lionel
Messi has a contract with the club "forever"
as they prepare for negotiations on a new deal
in the coming months.
Messi, 29, has a contract which currently
expires in June 2018. However, this summer,
the Argentine star was linked with a possible
move to re-join former boss Pep Guardiola at
Manchester City, as well as a return to his
childhood club Newell's Old Boys following
the 2018 World Cup, something Messi said he
would "love to do."
But Bartomeu has made renewing Messi's deal
a priority this term.
"[Messi] has all the years he wants [with
Barcelona]. Lionel Messi is the best ever to
play football in the history of the world and he
plays with us," he told ESPN FC in an
exclusive interview. "We are very happy, he is
very important for the club, he's very
important for the fans, he's very important for
football itself.
"And Lionel Messi in the next coming months
of course we are going to talk with him
because he knows, he already knows that he
has a contract forever. There is not a limit
with him.
"The limit will be decided by him and right
now he is 29 years old, he is talented, he is
ambitious, and he's in perfect shape to
continue for many more years."
Bartomeu went on to say that he expected
negotiations to be complete shortly, adding:
"For now, we think we will do it in the next
coming months, but Leo Messi will continue in
Barcelona, of course."
Messi returned to international competition
with Argentina last week after a brief
retirement from the national team following
this summer's disappointment at the Copa
America Centenario.
He helped lead his country to a 1-0 win
against Uruguay, although he aggravated a
groin injury near the end of the match and
didn't play in Argentina's 2-2 draw with
Venezuela on Tuesday. Barcelona have yet to
offer a timetable for his return.
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