Monday, 25th March, 2014
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has promised that star forward Lionel Messi will once again become the world’s highest-paid footballer as soon as his contract negotiations are finalised.
The four-time Ballon d’Or winner’s current contract with the Catalans will expire in 2018 and the club are in talks with the Argentine’s agent over a contract that would be worth more than Cristiano Ronaldo’s five-year deal with Real Madrid.
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The 26-year-old, who is a product of the Spanish giants’ La Masia youth academy, starred in his side’s 4-3 Clasico win over Real Madrid on Sunday having scored his second consecutive hat-trick in La Liga and the president has promised Messi will be rewarded.
"He is our star and he has a contract until 2018 because we want him to participate in our future, but there is the will within the club that he becomes the best paid player in the world", Bartomeu was quoted as saying by ITV.
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"He is the number one and, as we have said various times, he also deserves to be the best paid player in the world.”
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