Messi agrees new deal

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has agreed to renew his contract with club in a deal that will keep the Argentina international at the Camp Nou until 2021, the Spanish side said on Wednesday.

Five times a Ballon d'Or winner, the Argentinean forward was entering the final 12 months of his current deal before the new one was agreed.

Negotiations had been going on for months and Messi even rejected the first terms of offer made by Barcelona.

The deal comes amidst chaos at football club Barcelona, as controversy has followed the board and the president in recent times.

By announcing Messi’s agreement the board hopes to thwart some of the negative issues that sees Josep Maria Bartomeu’s presidency being questioned.

Messi, who scored 37 times in La Liga last season, has been at Barcelona since the age of 13, rising through their youth system to become one of the most successful and recognizable footballers in the world.

The 30-year-old follows in the footsteps of teammates and fellow strikers Luis Suarez and Neymar, who signed new deals last season.

Local media reports indicate the deal will see Messi remain as the club’s highest earner, while his buyout clause has been upped to 300 million euros.

The FC Barcelona website read: ‘The Club is very happy with both the renewal and the commitment of Messi, the best player in history, who has played his full professional career at Barça and has led the team to an era of extraordinary success, the likes of which has never been seen in world football.’