Lionel Messi 'rejects' Barcelona's new contract offer

Lionel Messi has reportedly rejected an opening contract offer from Barcelona worth around £29million a season, according to sources in Spain.

The Argentina international is in no hurry to renew his deal at the Nou Camp and is particularly keen to get the right offer following recent bumper renewals for Neymar and Luis Suarez.

Barcelona have been given some encouragement from Messi’s camp that he will end up extending his stay with the club, despite the first offer being knocked back, according to AS.

The 29-year-old’s current contract expires at the end of next season, so Barcelona will be eager to resolve the situation before too long as top clubs around Europe are likely to step up their interest if his deal remains unsigned.

Messi has spent his entire career with Barcelona, scoring an astonishing 502 goals in 579 appearances to establish himself as perhaps their greatest ever player and one of the finest in the history of the game as a whole.

The player and his father Jorge have been in discussions with the Catalan giants for a few months now, but for now it’s bad news for the club in their efforts to ensure he commits his future to them.