Barcelona President Joan Laporta Provides Big Updates on Lionel Messi And Ronald Koeman’s Futures at The Club

Joan Laporta has said that the contract talks with Lionel Messi are going well but he hasn't signed the deal yet.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has provided an update on Lionel Messi’s new contract situation. Messi’s contracts end with Barcelona after this season and he is heavily linked to a move to Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. However, the Barcelona board is confident that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner will continue with them in future.

Messi won the fifth consecutive Pichichi Award for scoring the most goals in a La Liga season and it was also his record-extending eight overall. The Argentine expressed his desire to leave the club last season after a bitter relationship with then club president Josep Maria Bartomeu. However, Messi stayed for the love for his club as he didn’t want to take Barcelona to court in the quest to leave as a free agent.

The new club president Laporta has said that the contract talks with Messi are going well but he hasn’t signed the deal yet.

“The new contract talks with [Lionel] Messi are going well, but we have to keep working,” Laporta said.

“We are preparing a proposal that with the [financial] limitations of the club can convince Messi [to stay]. He loves the club and we are all preparing whatever it takes for him to stay at Barça.”

❝#Messi‘s new contract is going well, but it’s not done yet.❞

— Barça president, @JoanLaportaFCB pic.twitter.com/UADPwfmUGa

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 28, 2021

Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman’s position at the club is also under scanner and Laporta has also given a big update on that.

“We already told the coach that at the end of the season we would assess, always with respect and admiration for Koeman, who still has a contract. We will see each other next week,” he added.

@JoanLaportaFCB: “Once the season is over, we’ll have to evaluate how things went and our options for the future. We’ll sit down with @RonaldKoeman next week and finalize decisions on these questions.

❗
https://t.co/v28AM27Zzq pic.twitter.com/roEgSJ5NF6

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 28, 2021

Laporta, who was appointed the club president mid-way last season, further said that the board will have a conversation with Koeman regarding his idea of a new team as he didn’t appoint the Dutchman as the coach.

“Ronald is a coach who we did not appoint, so we need these conversations to be sure we all share the same idea of the new Barça team. His behaviour has been impeccable,” he added later on the Dutchman.