Barcelona provide major update on Lionel Messi's contract situation

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed contract talks with Lionel Messi are progressing well. The Argentine is currently a free agent after his contract expired at the end of last season.

Messi's future has been up in the air for some time with Barcelona struggling to reduce their wage bill. The Catalan side have released, sold, and loaned out players, but they are reportedly still above the limit set by La Liga.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta: “We are working on Messi deal. This haven’t been completely resolved yet, but it is progressing well. He wants to stay”. 🔴🔵 #FCB @ReshadRahman_

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 2, 2021

Speaking to the media after unveiling Emerson as a new Barcelona player, Joan Laporta confirmed the club are yet to sign a deal with Messi but are confident of reaching an agreement soon.

"We are working on it. This hasn't been completely resolved yet, but it is progressing well," Laporta said. "We are doing everything we can within our capacity & I continue to see high chances of Messi staying. He wants to stay."

The Barcelona president added he was also confident of registering new signings with La Liga. However, he did hint at the possibility of needing help from the league.

"The players we are incorporating can all be registered," he added. We'd like more flexibility from La Liga so that there is more fair play and there are more possibilities to sign another player."

La Liga refuse to help Barcelona register Lionel Messi

Barcelona are hoping to get some help from La Liga this summer, but Javier Tebas has already confirmed they will not be bending the rules. The president of La Liga wants the club to reduce their wage bill at all costs before registering new players.

#Messi = 🤯First player in major international tournament history to be:🐐 Tournament champion🐐 Player of the Tournament 🐐 Top scorer🐐 Top assister pic.twitter.com/tXmXr97aiS

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 11, 2021

He told Radio Marca:

"No, I won't [turn a blind eye] for Messi, it's impossible. There are many workers [at LaLiga] and in the economic control [department] as well. This is a right that the clubs have and we have to safeguard the integrity of LaLiga."

"We often have to explain [the economic controls] to agents and players because they don't know about it or think clubs are deceiving them, and we've had to explain it in recent years. We'll have to analyse everything properly, because if there are dismissals for economic reasons but then they bring in Messi and others... we'd have to look into that."

The new La Liga season kicks off on August 13.