Messi not to renew contract with Barcelona: Reports

Argentine forward Lionel Messi has decided not to renew his contract with Spanish football champions FC Barcelona, according to media reports.

According to the Marca newspaper on Monday, Messi made the decision in July during a family vacation in Ibiza and asked his father to inform FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu about his intention, reports Sputnik.

Messi's current contract with Barcelona ends on June 30, 2018. He has decided to wait until the end of the year and then decide on his future.

Bartomeu called on the Argentine forward to think twice and reminded him that a release clause in Messi's contract amounted to 250 million euros (about $273 million).

At the same time, there have not been any official contacts between Messi's representatives and the Barcelona officials since July, the newspaper said.

Messi, 29, became a Barcelona member when he was 13.

Rising up through the ranks of the FC Barcelona football academy, he broke into the main team at the age of 17.

Since then, he has won the Champions League four times, became champion of La Liga seven times and won six Copa Del Reys along with many other trophies.

--IANS

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