Barcelona and Lionel Messi are in negotiations to extend the Argentine's contract and his stay in Catalonia. However, recent reports suggest that Messi is holding out for an eye-watering €20 million per year. If a deal was to be agreed, it would see Messi's annual salary become the highest in football and overtaking his Real Madrid rival, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Reports from Marca suggest that Barcelona have offered Messi a contact worth €18 million per year. Already an extortionate amount, but Messi and his father/agent Jorge are pushing for further bonuses inserted into the new deal, taking the annual salary to €20 million per year. Marca again have reported that Barcelona hope to announce the agreement of a new contract between the club and the player this week. There has been no official confirmation from the club currently, as the latest meeting with Messi's father could possibly have thrown a spanner into the works and delayed the discussions. A possible stall in negotiations may cause further speculation on Messi's future, but it's highly likely that Lionel Messi will extend his stay in Catalonia for a long time to come.
Barcelona fans will be delighted to hear the news, for obvious reasons. A lot of negativity has surrounded the club this season, partnered with an inconsistent and disappointing campaign by their standards. A poor season is likely to finish with no significant silverware to their name, but the news of arguably the world's best player renewing his contract will brighten Barcelona fans' moods.