With FC Barcelona having reportedly begun negotiations with Lionel Messi's camp regarding a new contract, details around his salary as well as a special clause have now seemingly been revealed.
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The 32-year-old's current deal expires in June 2021, but the Catalan giants are keen to extend it in the near future.
Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu and the player's father Jorge Messi, who is also his agent, have started negotiations and made some good progress, according to Marca.
It is understood that Barcelona have offered their superstar a two-year extension, which would bind Messi to the club until 2023.
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However, as in his previous deal, the player will have an exit clause in the contract that allows him to leave for free if he alerts the club of his desire to do so before the end of May in a given season.
The clause is understood to be non-negotiable for the club captain, who wants to be able to decide whether or not he can still compete at the highest level towards the end of each campaign.
His salary will reportedly stay the same and not increase, with both parties agreeing to this after the club's financials was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
Messi is currently the highest-paid player in the game, receiving a basic annual salary of about €46 million (R891 million), according to various reports.
Read: Footballers Who Earned Big Money Without Doing Much
Negotiations are said to be progressing well, with only some finer details to be ironed out.
Do you think Messi will retire at Barcelona? Or will he switch clubs before hanging up his boots? Have your say in the comments section below.
