Barcelona transfer news: Catalan giants fear Lionel Messi will reject contract offer

Barcelona hero Lionel Messi is reportedly considering his future at the Nou Camp. The 29-year-old forward has endured a difficult few weeks – including Argentina's defeat in the Copa America final and being handed a 21-month suspended prison sentence for tax fraud – and is now contemplating a move away from Spain.

Messi, Barcelona's all-time leading scorer, announced his retirement from international football immediately after Argentina were defeated by Chile on penalties in the Copa America final. Meanwhile, Messi has continued to protest his innocence against his recent conviction.

The Barcelona legend was handed a hefty fine after being found guilty of tax fraud and although his lawyer intends to appeal the verdict, Messi and his family have reportedly been left feeling bitterly disappointed about the situation. Barcelona, for their part, are set to table a lucrative new contract offer to Messi, which will include a significant increase to his salary.

However, that may not be enough to convince him to stay at Barcelona, according to the Spanish sports paper Marca. It is reported Messi was mulling over his long-term future before the summer and because his current deal does not run out until June 2018, the forward is no rush to commit himself to the club.

Barcelona reportedly fear Messi may not want to renew his contract, especially with Chelsea and Manchester City eager to sign the record-breaking superstar. The Catalan giants are aware that they will need to pull out all the stops to get Messi to agree a new deal at the Nou Camp.