Based on the contract signed by Lionel Messi to Barcelona, the Argentine forward player is free to leave Camp Nou by 2022. However, with a player of Messi's caliber, no team in its right mind would want to let him go, especially, the president of FC Barcelona, Josep Maria Bartomeu. Several reports suggest that the Barca chief is planning to offer the Blaugrana Capitan a deal that he might have a hard time declining.
Catalan news Mundo Deportivo recently reports that the president of Barca is determined to make sure that Lionel Messi stays at the team for as long as it is necessarily possible. The Argentine superstar inked a deal with FC Barcelona that holds him play for the Camp Nou until 2021. To keep the star player at the club, Bartomeu plans to offer him the same contract that they offered to Barca legends Xavi and Iniesta, a lifetime contract.
Reportedly, the idea was already considered by Bartomeu for quite a while and was pitched into the committee by FC Barcelona General Director Grascar Grau. Both fans and the club believe that there is no rush to tie Lionel Messi with Barcelona since he is obviously happy in Catalonia. Additionally, some sports analyst think that the Barca Talisman is determined to stay at the team for the entire duration of his contract to help it get a chance to the World Cup title.
Meanwhile, renowned Manager Arsene Wenger recently admitted that he is very interested to get both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when he was with the Gunners. The Frenchman, who has been at the helm for 22 years and has stepped down as Arsenal boss 18 months earlier has earned the reputation of being not able to acquire players who later became the best in the football world. This includes Paul Pogba, Yaya Toure, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to name a few.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are football legends who are continuously shaping the landscape of professional football with their unparalleled performances over the years. Both are constant reminders to Arsenal on its failure to secure its targets. Both Messi and Ronaldo are five-time awardees of the prestigious Ballon d'Or, and both have won nine Champions League titles-the major trophy that dodged Wenger during his reign at the Emirates and Highbury.
Leaked FIFA 20 ratings show that Cristiano Ronaldo has slipped a point behind Lionel Messi https://t.co/sHT7zTdMRi — News18 Sports (@News18Sports) September 5, 2019
When asked about Lionel Messi, Wenger said that the Argentine football superstar has never worn an Arsenal jersey. He also revealed that Arsenal was in negotiation with Messi during the time the team brought in Fabregas. Wenger added that Arsenal was very interested with Messi, but he was untouchable during that time.
