Lionel Messi becomes a free agent after Barcelona contract expires 

After his 20 year association with FC Barcelona, Lionel Messi has become a free agent today. His contract officially came to an end on June 30, 2021. The Catalan giants are yet to reach an agreement for a new contract with the 33-year-old this summer.

Lionel Messi's contract is one of the main points of debate this summer. Despite Barcelona president Joan Laporta expressing his confidence in extending the Argentinian's deal, Barcelona have failed to put forward a deal in front of Messi and his representatives by the 1st of July.

Lionel Messi is now free to talk to any club and join them on a free transfer. Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are among the handful of clubs who can realistically sign the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

However, according to the BBC, contract talks between Lionel Messi and Barcelona are still ongoing. Messi may decide to stay in Spain despite interest from elsewhere. But for the time being, Lionel Messi is officially a free agent.

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Barcelona star Lionel Messi becomes a free agent https://t.co/u3kXw2WnFB

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 1, 2021

High time for Barcelona to offer Lionel Messi a new deal

Barcelona need to act quickly in order to offer Lionel Messi a new deal. With Messi now being a free agent, various clubs in Europe will have the opportunity to hold talks with the 33-year-old's representatives over a potential move.

However, according to the aforementioned source, Barcelona have "raised the level of urgency" in their contract talks with their former club captain. Joan Laporta is currently directly negotiating with Lionel Messi's father, Jorge, and has made it a priority to offer Messi a new deal.

Despite Barcelona's desire to offer Messi a new deal, the club will be forced to reduce their wage bill in order to balance their finances. Barcelona will have to reduce its wage budget by €200 million in order to comply with the Financial Fair Play rules.

Lionel Messi’s contract extension with Barcelona is finally coming. 🇦🇷Barça board and Messi’s camp feel now ‘confident’ to officially announce the agreement until June 2023 next week.Both parties involved are working to fix ‘final details’ on contract clauses. ⏳ pic.twitter.com/dZ0zIsGeB3

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 27, 2021

According to the reports, Barcelona want to offer Lionel Messi a new two-year deal which will see the Argentine stay at the Nou Camp until the summer of 2023. Messi had expressed interest in playing for an MLS side before returning to Barcelona as a board member.

Despite interest from Man City and PSG, it is safe to believe that Lionel Messi will still be a Barcelona player come next season.

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