Barcelona star won't be leaving for free this summer

 

Barcelona hero Lionel Messi will not be leaving the LaLiga leaders for free this summer after a clause in his contract permitting him to do so expired at the weekend, reports The Standard. 

 

The Argentine had an agreement in his current deal that would allow him to walk away from the club for nothing at the end of the season, but he had to inform the club of his intentions to do so by May 31st. 

 

That date has since passed and Messi will ply his trade with the Blaugrana for at least one more season, with his current deal expiring next summer. 

 

However, talks are set to take place before too long about prolonging his stay at Camp Nou as Barcelona gear up for a huge summer rebuild. 

 

Indeed, the Catalan side are looking to re-sign Neymar and bring in Lautaro Martinez from PSG and Inter, respectively, with a host of fringe players up for sale. 

 

The likes of Coutinho, Samuel Umtiti and Nelson Semedo, to name three, have all been linked with Premier League moves as Barcelona seek to raise funds for a summer splurge. 

 

Messi, unsurprsingly, is not for sale and the club are looking to enter negotiations over a new deal sooner rather than later. 

 

 

The 32-year-old is one of only four players to register double figures for both goals (19) and assists (12) in Europe's top five leagues this season and his form has seen him garner a better WhoScored rating (8.61) than any other player.