Barcelona to offer a lifetime contract to Lionel Messi

To ensure that Argentine superstar Lionel Messi doesn't leave FC Barcelona at the end of his current contract in 2021, club authorities are planning to offer the maestro a "lifetime" contract.

According to the current contract between Messi and his club, the former can legally leave Barca at the end of any season for free. However, such a free transfer is only possible if Messi chooses a non-European club as his new destination, such as one in the Major League Soccer (MLS).

As per Bleacher Report, the club is initiating a new contract that would remove all the possible clauses, which otherwise could potentially enable Messi to leave the club by the end of any season. The only transfer that seems possible is if the Barca legend informs his club about his intent to transfer before May.

However, in a recent TV interview, Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu has cleared the air about the club's doubts on Messi's future. He reportedly said that the club has full trust on the loyalty of Barcelona's biggest asset. He also continued saying that Messi wouldn't use any of the clauses to leave the club suddenly.

In this regard, Messi's colleague at Barcelona, Gerard Pique, has also expressed his belief on the former's commitment towards the club. He reportedly tweeted that none of the club members are worried about the possibility of Messi leaving the club at the end of any season. He further stated that a player of Messi's level has all the rights to decide when he wishes to leave. But right now, that's not on the cards.

Although club authorities are too much confident about Messi's club commitments, they would not want to take any chances. Since the Argentine football master's current Barca contract is coming to an end in 2021, the club is all set to come up with a new contract to eliminate Messi's free transfer possibilities.

As of now, Messi's injury has restricted him from appearing on the football pitch this season. The defending champions, without their legend, are struggling. They are ranked number 8 in the La Liga table with just a single win out of the three matches they played so far. All eyes are on Messi, as the La Liga winners are about to face Valencia in Camp Nou on September 14. Speculations suggest that the Argentine forward might come back on home turf to secure 3 points against Los Ches.