Lionel Messi signs new Barca deal so the dream of Pep reuniting with his former star seems unlikely

Lionel Messi signs new Barca deal so the dream of Pep reuniting with his former star seems unlikely

It has been announced with Lionel Messi himself there at the press conference that the long-serving Barca legend has signed a new 4 year contract with Barcelona the only club he has ever really played.

This is not counting Newell’s Old Boys where he played when he literally was still a boy.

The new deal with Barcelona is for 4 years so the now 30 year old Argentinian legend will be tied to Barcelona until he is 34 years old and the end of the 2020-21 season.


Messi wants to finish his highest level with the club he has helped to win so many trophies over the years.

The superstar is clearly fiercely loyal to the club which nurtured him and helped him grow into the mega-talent he is today over the 17 years he has been with the Spanish giants.

The Catalan city has been home much of his life as Messi left Argentina in 2000 at 13 years of age having moved over with his family to pursue his football career at the famed La Masia Barcelona football academy.

He made his first-team debut at 16 years of age in a friendly vs FC Porto, then he went on to make his first team official debut the next season vs Espanyol still only at the tender age 17.

The Argentinian magician has silenced all the scouts and people who said he was too small and has proceeded to win 5 Ballon D’Or awards plus 4 UEFA Champions Leagues and 8 La Liga titles in addition to many individual awards and club trophies he has helped Barca win.

Apparently the release clause which a club would have to meet before they could talk to Lionel Messi has been set at €700million which means he is only an option for a very select group of clubs like Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea from a British perspective plus possibly PSG and Real Madrid but you just cannot see Messi in Madrid or PSG or anywhere else either.

The bottom line is that even for Manchester City who have the financial muscle and the manager who has worked with Messi so successfully in the past there is no longer a chance of Messi coming to the Premier League.

However, as we reported before Lionel Messi’s ultimate dream is to return to Argentina at the end of his playing days at the highest level and return to play for boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys and after all he has given to football he deserves to finish on his own terms.