Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi seems increasingly likely to lose his future to the club with a new contract, rather than leaving as a free agent at the end of his current deal this summer. But the six-time Ballon d’Or is believed to have made a list of critical demands for that to happen.
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Messi got so tired of the deteriorating situation at Camp Nou last summer and topped off with an 8-2 humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League, that he tried to invoke a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave as a free agent.
Messi wanted to leave Barcelona in the summer of 2020 | Pool / Getty Images
Barça also suffered its worst La Liga season since 2007/08, had continued to fall behind in the Champions League with just one trip to the final since 2011, and crippling club finances have gone out of control of debt to over € 1 billion.
But despite his determination to leave last summer, which was blocked by the regime led by ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu, Messi chose instead to make a new decision at the end of this season. A new hierarchy recently took power after a delayed election, where Joan Laporta returned as president and gave the chance for a fresh start.
Messi can still leave Camp Nou as a free agent in June, but Laporta has long been convinced a new deal will be agreed and signs are increasingly pointing that way – one of the main reasons Manchester City are rumored to have ended their quest is a belief that Messi is on the way to a renewal and it would be a waste of their time to try to convince him of something else.
But a new contract is no guarantee and Eurosport has reported that Messi, who turns 34 before next season, is seeking important assurances from Barcelona’s new hierarchy before committing to anything.
Messi will increasingly sign a new contract but Barcelona must listen to his demands | Soccrates Images / Getty Images
All are based on promoting the club’s sporting prospects and no one focuses on money, which is likely to be less important to Messi at this stage of his career, having already earned so much.
It is said that Messi wants assurances that Barça will have a “competitive group” and a sensible recruitment strategy going forward. The club has been heavily criticized in recent years for spending massively on players such as Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann without really considering a more holistic or long-term strategy.
Instead, Messi wants to see “sharp” signings and at least one “party tent”. As for the latter, the club has started talks with Mino Raiola to assess the feasibility of getting Erling Haaland.
It is also said that Messi wants to see a renewed commitment to youth development and faith in academics from La Masia. This is something that Barça was known for when it was at its peak in 2011, but was probably lost in the later 2010s as the focus turned more to unsustainable spending.
You can rule out a Messi move to Manchester this summer. ?
– 90min (@ 90min_Football) 31 March 2021
In addition, it is reported that Messi wants more “open communication” with head coach Ronald Koeman and Barça’s hierarchy. It is said that he thought former coaches Luis Enrique and Quique Setien were inaccessible and had a better relationship with Koeman and would also like a direct line with technical secretary Ramon Planes and returning president Laporta.
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