Lionel Messi has agreed a four-year contract extension which will keep him at Barcelona until the summer of 2021.
The Argentinian forward had been tentatively linked with Premier League sides this summer, but is now ready to commit his future to the club he joined at the age of 13.
Spanish newspaper Marca have reported that the new contract contains a release clause of €300m .
A statement released on the club’s official website said: “FC Barcelona and Leo Messi have agreed on a contract renewal that will keep the Argentinian at the club until June 30th, 2021.
The deal will be signed in the coming weeks when Messi returns to the team for pre-season training.”
The statement added: The Club is very happy with both the renewal and the commitment of Messi, the best player in history, who has played his full professional career at Barça and has led the team to an era of extraordinary success, the likes of which has never been seen in world football.”
Since making his first-team debut in 2004 at the age of 17, Messi has won eight league titles, four Champions League and four Copa del Rey cups.
Messi has also won the Ballon d’Or, France Football’s coveted award for the world’s best footballer, on five occasions.
The 30-year-old is Barcelona’s all-time leading goalscorer with 507 goals in 583 matches, and is also the highest scorer in La Liga’s history with 349 goals.
