Lionel Messi will stay in Barcelona for the rest of his career if he decides to sign a new contract with the LaLiga giants in the summer.
That’s according to French journalist Julien Laurens, who claims the Barcelona captain has not decided on his next move.
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Lionel Messi tried to leave Barcelona last summer, before deciding to stay
Messi, who has a Barca contract running out at the end of the season, has been heavily linked with summer moves to Man City and Paris Saint-Germain in recent months.
Giving an update on the future of the 33-year-old, Laurens told talkSPORT: “He has not yet decided what he wants to do next season.
“He can sign a pre-contract anywhere he wants. He is on the market, but has not decided whether to stay at Barcelona [or go].
“If he keeps now, he will stay forever. If he decides to leave, there are currently only two clubs that can pay him, who can sign him, Manchester City and PSG.
“There is an opportunity if he wants to leave that he can hire PSG. There is still a long way to go, but they are preparing to offer him a good chance if he decides to leave. ”
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Messi has scored 19 goals this season
Laurens insists Messi will have to make a ‘big’ pay cut from his annual salary of around £ 65million (€ 75m) wherever he ends up this year.
He said: “Whatever he does next season, he has to take a pay cut.
“His current contract in Barcelona is around € 75 million euros for the season. No one at the moment, Barca, PSG, Man City, Liverpool, Real Madrid can pay that amount.
“He knows it, so whatever he does he has to take a pay cut, which is also very important.
“Barcelona can’t pay him on the current terms and I don’t think City and PSG can either.
“But, if it went, ‘I’ve made so much money, I know the current contract is mind blowing, so I’ll make a pay cut then i think he can keep Barca and City and PSG can sign if he wants to leave. ”