Lionel Messi to stay at Barcelona until he is 42

FC Barcelona is all set to offer their star player, Lionel Messi, a new extended contract. The latest contract is expected to last until the Argentine superstar turns 42. According to sources, this extended contract is to ensure that Barca's most valuable player doesn't leave Camp Nou once his current contract ends at the end of next season.

Sources claim that the defending La Liga champions are willing to keep Messi until he retires from the game. Messi, now 32 years old, might be offered a new 10-year long contract that would see the Argentine donning the Barca shirt way past his retirement age.

As a general rule of thumb, not many footballers continue playing past 40. Therefore, chances are high that Messi won't play competitive football until he turns 42. Technically that means that the Argentine would potentially retire at Camp Nou.

Recent rumours claim that multiple international clubs have been showing their interest in signing the Barca megastar. Some of these clubs include those that feature in the big European Leagues, Major League Soccer and even in the Chinese Super League. All of these signing rumours came in at a point when the Argentine's contract with his Spanish club is on the verge of expiration.

In a recent interview, Messi expressed his interest in staying in Barcelona until the end of his career. He showed signs of emotional attachment to Barcelona, while describing how he feels about staying with a single club for so long while his counterparts are always looking for a better opportunity. The Barca forward said that he doesn't want to disrupt his life by moving to a new destination.

According to the Mirror, Barca bosses are more interested in keeping the "Messi" brand associated with the club for at least another 10 years. That is why they are willing to extend their contract with the Latin American football magician.

Messi joined Barcelona when he was 13 years old. He quickly jumped up the ladder and made it to the senior team. During this time, Messi appeared 692 times with Barcelona's senior outfit. He won 10 La Liga titles, 6 Copas del Rey and 4 Champions League trophies. Individually, he received many accolades including 5 Ballon d'Or trophies.