Despite having said earlier that he would not make a public decision on whether to stay or leave Barcelona until the end of the season, the latest news from Caught Offside indicates that Lionel Messi will announce his intentions in the coming days.
The news comes from El Mundo’s revelation of the details of Messi’s contract with Barcelona, with his report revealing that the Argentine’s salary totals the notable sum of € 555,237,619 in four years, including variables.
El Mundo today, what a bomb. Leo Messi’s contract with Barcelona was revealed on the front page 🔴👇🏻 @elmundoes
– contract of € 555,237,619 [4 years].
– € 138m per fixed season + variables.
– € 115,225,000 as a ‘renewal fee’ just to accept the contract.
– € 77,929,955 loyalty bonus. pic.twitter.com/FK3I34hJta
– Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 31, 2021
The revelations came at a bad time for Ronald Koeman, with the Blaugrana standing out after a difficult start to the season. The team faces Athletic Bilbao tonight at Camp Nou and, if they win, they will be second, seven points behind La Liga leader Atletico Madrid, depending on the result of this afternoon.
The Catalans are still alive in the Copa del Rey, where they face Granada in the quarter-finals, and in the Champions League, where they face Paris-Saint Germain, one of Messi’s most persistent contenders, in the round of 16.
Don Balon is reporting that Messi is furious over leaking details of his contract, saying he recently warned the club that if any leaks affected him or his family he would stop his career at Camp Nou and look for new pasture. Now that this has happened, it seems that the end is in sight.