Would he stay or no? Without a contract in Barcelona, the future of Lionel Messi begins to be defined

Starting at 12:00 am on Thursday, Lionel Messi is free to negotiate with any team that is willing to make an offer. FC Barcelona seems to be in no hurry to announce renewal, which according to the Spanish press, has already been done. And although for now Leo is concentrated with Argentina in the Copa América, the truth is that in the light of everyone, he is now living his last hours as a Barça player.

For the first time since the symbolic beginning of the new millennium, the year 2000, the Barça club and the Argentine player will have nothing legal to unite them except the love that has kept them together for 21 years. The same love that they seek to use as a bridge to continue moving hand in hand. Sources close to Messi pointed out to "Sport" that the Argentine has not yet given a positive response to the different renewal proposals issued by Joan Laporta, but he is analyzing several of them.

It is pointed out that the captain of the ‘Albiceleste’ will have a contract extension for two seasons. However, everything indicates that a formal conversation between both parties will be awaited to define and modify some of the proposals that most attract Leo.

The economic situation of Barca complicates the renewal, because it would come with a large reduction in the salary that Josep Maria Bartomeu gave him when he was Barca president; but, despite this, ‘Mundo Deportivo’ indicated that the urgency to keep Messi within the team is maximum. Joan Laporta is clear that the player who will soon turn 34 remains the fundamental axis of the Camp Nou squad.

What will happen with his future?

According to information from ‘Esport 3’, Messi will start to collect half of what he receives now, but with a 10-year contract that would progressively allow him to ‘recover’ said cut in amounts. Also, according to ‘TV3 ′, in the first instance, the forward will continue as a footballer of the first team for two seasons.

Then, before a hypothetical march to the United States, the '10' will act as ambassador in this country, while enjoying his last steps on the fields in Major League Soccer (MLS). The last stage places Leo Messi back in Barcelona. In this part, with the Argentine possibly out of activity, he will be considered as a member of the institution's sports area. That is to say, for example, he would become a kind of sports director, always linked to the work of the team.