Lionel Messi will see out his Barcelona contract after rejecting a modern deal,according to reports in Spain.
Citing the Spanish sport daily, Marca, and the Telegraph reports that the Argentinian has rejected the offer of a modern contract extension and will see out his current deal,which ends in 2018, before making a decision on his future.
The Madrid-based newspaper suggested that Messi's ongoing dispute with Spanish tax authorities is one of the main reasons for his decision.
In an exclusive interview with the Telegraph in October, and Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu appeared confident of retaining Messi's long-term services.
"Right now Leo Messi has a contract to the end of the Russian World Cup [in 2018] and we are very happy with him. Very happy," Bartomeu told Jason Burt. [br]"I don’t know what will happen in the future but of course we will always try to interpret to him that he is at the best club in the world and this is the best spot for him to live and he is living the best experience of his life with us.
Barcelona were last month buoyed by the news that Neymar had signed a modern five-year deal that would retain him at the club until 2021 and Bartomeu appeared confident of securing Messi's long-term services.
Source: tert.am