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Lionel Messi has agreed a significant pay cut in order to remain at Barcelona and will sign a five-year contract in the coming days, according to reports.<\/p>\nLionel Messi has agreed a significant pay cut in order to remain at Barcelona and will sign a five-year contract in the coming days, according to reports.<\/p>\n
Messi, 34, has been a free agent since his previous four-year deal expired on June 30th, but though the Argentinian was widely linked with Manchester City and Paris St Germain last summer, it had been anticipated that a deal would be reached for him to extend his 20-year association with Barca.<\/p>\n
Messi\u2019s relationship with former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu had become strained after the club\u2019s 8-2 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich last season, but he has been happier since the re-election of Joan Laporta in March.<\/p>\n
Finding a solution has not been straightforward, however, given Barca\u2019s crippling debts and need to cut costs in order to meet LaLiga\u2019s Financial Fair Play rules.<\/p>\n
But according to reports in Spain and beyond, Messi has agreed to take a 50 per cent pay cut compared to his previous contract, which was worth more than \u20ac125 million per season, while continuing his playing career until 2026 at least.<\/p>\n
The contract will allow Messi to extend a Barcelona career which began when he joined the academy in 2000.<\/p>\n
He has made 778 appearances and scored 672 goals \u2013 both club records \u2013 while winning 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions League crowns.<\/p>\n
Last weekend, Messi helped Argentina to victory over Brazil in the Copa America final to win his first major international trophy.<\/p>\n