Barcelona chief Pep Segura refuses to confirm that Lionel Messi has already signed his new deal

Barcelona chief Pep Segura has refused to confirm whether Lionel Messi has already put pen to paper on the new deal announced by the club last month. But the sporting manager insisted the La Liga giants will make every effort in the current market to make the Argentina international happy again following the humiliating defeat to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup.

The Catalans appeared to put an end to months of speculation on 5 July by releasing an official statement to announce that Messi had agreed to commit his long-term future to Barcelona with a new deal until 2021.

"FC Barcelona and Leo Messi have agreed on a contract renewal that will keep the Argentinian at the club until June 30th, 2021," a statement from the club confirmed. "The deal will be signed in the coming weeks, when Messi returns to the team for pre-season training."

But pre-season is now over and Barcelona are yet to make a further announcement to confirm that the five-time Ballon d'Or has signed the new deal.

This delay has raised some questions after a very disappointing summer at the Nou Camp. Messi would be able to join another club as a free-agent at the end of the current campaign if he doesn't sign the deal.

Earlier this month, Messi saw his close pal Neymar leave Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain in a €222m (£201m, $260m) world record transfer.

The La Liga giants are yet to make any major signings to replace the Brazilian ace and Messi's side suffered a further blow after losing the Spanish Super Cup to Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate.

Messi scored 54 goals in 52 appearances for Barcelona during the 2016-2017 campaign but was unable to help his side avoid a 2-0 defeat to Los Blancos in the second-leg played at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night (16 August).

The Argentinian ace left the pitch disappointed and when questioned by Esport3 if the player has already signed his new contract, Segura replied: "It is an issue that is being handled by the president and I can't say how the situation is right now. But I think that things are extremely clear.

"Messi is a winner, he is the best player in the world. We must help him and the rest of our players to become champions again. We have to help them to be proud, to belong to this team. When things do not go as you want, and you also have bad luck as it happened in the two games against Real Madrid, these things happens."

Yet, Segura added that Barcelona expect to complete the signings of Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho and Borussia Dortmund winger Ousmane Dembele in the coming days to partner Messi and Luis Suarez in attack.