Is Barcelona set to offer new contract to Lionel Messi and re-sign Neymar?

FC Barcelona is likely to offer a new contract to their Argentine legend Lionel Messi, says the club's former vice-president Emili Rousaud. He also said that the Spanish giants could possibly re-sign Neymar during the summer transfer window.

The Argentine star's Camp Nou deal will expire in 2021. Reportedly, Messi has yet to agree on the contract extension following his bitter quarrel with the Barca hierarchy.

Interest has been shown from Italian side Inter Milan and Premier League side Manchester City, when it comes to signing the superstar. However, Messi himself has claimed his links with Inter as "fake news."

It is understood that the Catalan side is confident that the 32-year-old Argentine will agree to extend his stay at Barcelona following the expiration of his current contract. According to The Sun, the former Barca executive claimed that he would be surprised if Messi doesn't extend his Camp Nou contract.

Rousaud also believes that the Spanish side could re-sign their former player Neymar in a cheaper deal as a result of the financial distress caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview, Rousaud said, "I think Messi and Barcelona will reach an agreement over a renewal. To reach an agreement, the two parties must make some kind of concession, but I would be very surprised if this beautiful story did not continue for longer. I think it's possible that Neymar could return in the summer. It does not seem to me an impossibility at all. I have a feeling that the pandemic will lead to some deflation in player prices."

Messi has been involved in fallouts with the Barca board lately. The Barcelona legend was thought to be losing patience with his club's executives over wage deferrals.

In February, he had hit out at Barca's director of football Eric Abidal over the latter's comments regarding players' commitment and effort during Ernesto Valverde's sacking.

The tensions between La Liga leaders and the six-time Ballon d'Or winner suggested that the maestro could leave his club after spending 19 years at Camp Nou. Recently, Inter Milan's former president Massimo Moratti suggested that the Italian club would make an audacious move to sign Messi.

But that, as of now, seems far from possible with the Spanish giants set to offer a new contract to the Argentine talisman.