Anxiety At Camp Nou As Messi Becomes Free Agent

Cat:

Related stories

Tinubu Mourns, Pays Tribute to Legendary Super Eagles Goalkeeper Peter Rufai

By Abiola Olawale President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed profound...

Natasha vs Akpabio: Court Orders Senate President To Recall Senator Natasha

Warns Natasha Against inappropriate Conduct By Abiola Olawale The Federal...

Hadi Sirika Denies Defection to ADC Coalition Rumors, Reaffirms Loyalty to Buhari, APC

By Abiola Olawale Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has...

China Snubs U.S. Crude for Third Month, Even as Ethane Trade Restarts

China has avoided buying U.S. crude oil for three...

Super Eagles Icon Peter Rufai Passes Away at 61

By Abiola Olawale The Nigerian football community has been thrown...

Argentina star Lionel Messi has officially become a free agent after his contract with Barcelona expired, raising anxiety at the Camp Nou.

Twelve months on from his aborted attempt to leave Barcelona, Lionel Messi is now out of contract.

According to new reports his deal expired at midnight and despite months of rumour and conjecture, he has failed to commit to an extension.

Talks over a new contract are believed to be ongoing, meaning Messi may well decide to stay at the Nou Camp but for now, he is available for absolutely nothing.

Spanish football writer Guillem Balague said earlier this week that Barcelona had “raised the level of urgency” in contract talks, with the hopes of making an announcement of a new two-year deal before the start of July.

“Messi’s contract renewal is new president Joan Laporta’s main priority and he is currently negotiating it directly with Messi’s father and representative, Jorge Messi,” he said.

“To be able to keep the Argentine, the club will have to reduce their wage bill by around 200m euros (£172m) to meet La Liga’s Financial Fair Play requirements.

“Messi knows of the interest from other clubs, but up to now has not negotiated anything with them, waiting first to hear what Barcelona were offering.”

The 34-year-old has been linked with moves to Paris St-Germain and Manchester City, where he would be reunited with his former boss at Barcelona Pep Guardiola, as well as America’s Major League Soccer.

He is currently in Brazil playing for Argentina at the Copa America and became their most-capped player when he made his 148th international appearance against Bolivia on Tuesday, scoring twice and setting up another in a 4-1 win.

Oyinlola Awonuga (the New Diplomat's Entertainment Fashion And Sports Desk)
Oyinlola Awonuga (the New Diplomat's Entertainment Fashion And Sports Desk)
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
Tinubu Mourns, Pays Tribute to Legendary Super Eagles Goalkeeper Peter RufaiNatasha vs Akpabio: Court Orders Senate President To Recall Senator NatashaHadi Sirika Denies Defection to ADC Coalition Rumors, Reaffirms Loyalty to Buhari, APCChina Snubs U.S. Crude for Third Month, Even as Ethane Trade RestartsSuper Eagles Icon Peter Rufai Passes Away at 61Dakuku Peterside’s Beneath the Surface Book Out in OctoberOil Prices Dip on Confirmation of Inventory BuildBuhari In Stable Condition - Ex-Aide ConfirmsBREAKING: Ex-President Buhari sick, hospitalised abroad2027: Abure, Usman Clash Over Peter Obi’s Rising Profile in ADC CoalitionMTN’s Dabengwa Tier III Cloud Data Centre: A New Era for West African Tech and AIGanduje: Why are they resigning?OPEC Reports a Global Oil Production Decline in 2024IMF Warns FG to Overhaul 2025 Budget to Prevent Economic Meltdown2027: Peter Obi Vows, Says ADC Coalition 'll prioritize Nigerians’ Welfare
X whatsapp