Lionel Messi will sign a new contract with Barcelona on August 5, Goal can confirm after the Spanish club received a significant loan payment from La Liga.
After battling economic problems due to the coronavirus, Spain’s top-flight league has secured an incredible €2.7 billion (£2.3bn/$3.2bn) loan from CVC Capital Partners, with a majority percentage to be distributed to each club.
Barcelona will receive €280m (£238m/$331m) from La Liga, with €42m (£36m/$50m) of that figure being allocated to transfers and wages, meaning that the Messi renewal is able to be completed.
Following months of speculation that Messi could be leaving Barcelona, he is finally set to put pen to paper on a new contract that is due to be announced by Barca on August 5.
The 34-year-old will sign a five-year deal although there is the option for the contract to be unilaterally terminated in 2023, as reported by L’Esportiu de Catalunya, without the player having to pay a termination clause.
Messi will be joined by his father, Jorge, and club president Joan Laporta on Thursday to sign the contract, with the official announcement expected to follow soon after.
The Argentine will also be present at the Joan Gamper Trophy fixture on Sunday, where, in front of 3,000 fans at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, he is likely to be presented on the pitch and offer a speech to those attending.
Speaking exclusively to Goal, football finance expert Marc Ciria said: “90 per cent of the €2.7 billion will go to the clubs in the form of a 40-year soft loan.”
In addition, Ciria says that “70% of that will be used for investments in infrastructure, 15% to refinance debt and 15% to extend the salary limit.”
Ciria also believes that the new cash injection will prove to be a blow to any remaining hopes for a European Super League, with Real Madrid and Barcelona joining Juve in recently discussing their ongoing hopes for change in European football.
“[President Javier Tebas] has been intelligent and has sought ways to raise an important economic income for big clubs. They now have less incentive to launch a European Super League,” Ciria said.
“This agreement is clearly associated with a desire to inject money into the clubs to improve La Liga’s competitive balance and get closer to the Premier League.” (Goal)
