Lionel Messi will stay at Barcelona until 2023, announcement imminent

There are only six days left until Lionel Messi becomes a free agent when his current contract with FC Barcelona expires on June 30. Tensions are high but it has been reported that the Argentine is set to renew his contract until 2023, and an announcement is coming soon.

Everyone at the Camp Nou and fans from around the world are on the edge as the days get closer to the contract's expiration date. However, Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the six-time Ballon d'Or winner is set to stay.

In a post on Twitter, he said, "Lionel Messi will extend his contract with Barcelona until June 2023, all parties involved have no doubt - but there are still some clauses to be fixed in the contract 'structure'. ???? #Messi...that's why there's no official announcement yet. But it's just a matter of time."

A contrasting report by Marca states that members of Messi's camp have said that the player has not yet reached a decision. The report also states that Messi has not received the official offer form the club just yet.

Club president Joan Laporta has added to the tension by stating last week that while talks are ongoing, an agreement has not been reached with the Argentine. Laporta maintains that he is confident that an extension will be signed, but the fact that it has taken this long is throwing doubt into the situation.

Laporta had mentioned June 24 as a possible date for the new contract to be signed, and everyone with interest on the matter is now waiting with bated breath. It is believed that Barcelona has offered a two-year deal with a salary of 50 million euros. That is just about half of what Messi is currently raking in. Unfortunately, this is also as much as what the club can currently afford.

On top of the two-year deal, an additional 10-year club ambassador role has been included in the offer. This means that Messi will be linked to the club for a further ten year period regardless if he chooses to retire or play elsewhere after 2023. That would earn him an additional 10 million euros.

Whether all of that is enough to convince Messi to stay remains to be seen. Numerous sponsorship deals are also in jeopardy, with brands awaiting the outcome of the negotiations before deciding to commit to further deals with the club.