Yes, Lionel Messi’s Barcelona contract is about to expire

It’s time to address the elephant in the room, Lionel Messi’s FC Barcelona contract is about to expire and he hasn’t renewed it yet.

That’s right, Lionel Messi is about to end his contract as FC Barcelona’s player and he still hasn’t made any announcements about his renewal. By now, something should’ve been reached in order to make the final decision. Sergio Aguero’s arrival does leave a certain level of calm to everyone who is still wondering about Messi’s future. However, no announcement means that somebody still isn’t happy with the way things are going in the negotiation. Otherwise, Barcelona would’ve made his renewal official.

Plus, the Spanish La Liga has a certain rule book that they urge all the clubs to reach a salary cap. With all the new players arriving at FC Barcelona, keeping some of the highest earners will be impossible. Messi currently ends his contract on June 30th, but other players who earn too much can also leave the club soon. People like Antoine Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho, or Ousmane Dembele need to either leave or cut their salary in half. But the pressing matter is Messi for obvious reasons.

⚽️Javier Tebas, presidente de LaLiga

🤔"El Barcelona, para inscribir a Messi, tendrá que reducir salarios"

💰"Nosotros no hacemos una norma para Messi. Los anteriores y los actuales gestores saben lo que hay"https://t.co/QdCP5b3JQg
— Tiempo de Juego (@tjcope) June 21, 2021

Tebas urges Barcelona to act quickly.

Before the start of La Liga, all clubs need to act of they want to have a full roster with the salary cap in check. Laporta keeps saying he has everything under control with Messi but he doesn’t really say there is any progress. We are only nine days away from the contract to end. After that, Leo can officially get offers from any club of his choosing and he will be able to leave for free. One might think Barcelona has his signature secured but this ain’t over until the fat lady sings.

If Laporta doesn’t act quickly, he can easily fall as another one of PSG’s victims with the biggest player in Barcelona’s history. Neymar’s words of wishing he can play with Messi next season are still fresh in everyone’s memory. Tebas has the right idea about what Laporta and Barcelona need to do with these salary caps: “Barcelona have exceeded their wage cap. I hope they can keep Messi, but to do so, they will have to make cuts elsewhere.”