Lionel Messi's three-year contract with Barcelona has officially expired, but will he be leaving or staying put?
The Argentine superstar, widely regarded as one of the best to ever play the beautiful game, tried to sensationally leave the Spanish giants last summer, but had his transfer request rejected.
The 34-year-old now holds his future in his own hands, however, and now has the choice of extending his time in Spain or signing for another team on a free transfer.
Messi's contract, which lapsed at midnight on Tuesday, was reportedly worth a staggering £476m over four years - that's an eye-watering £119m per season.
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In addition to that, his signing-on fee was £99m alone, with a further £67m due as a loyalty bonus. Not too shabby that, eh?
Messi has won an impressive 35 titles in 17 seasons with Barcelona, helping the club win the Champions League four times, ten La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey seven times and the Spanish Super Cup eight times.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner is also the teams all-time leading scorer with 672 goals in 778 appearances, and the top scorer in the Spanish league with 474 goals in 520 matches.
So, where will the Argentinian footballing wizard be next season and what clubs could afford him?
When does Lionel Messi's Barcelona contract expire?
As of now, Lionel Messi is officially a free agent.
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Messi has now reached his June 30, 2021 contract expiry date, meaning he will be a free agent and able to join another club for nothing.
Will Lionel Messi sign a new Barcelona contract?
Lionel Messi is currently playing with Argentina at the Copa America and the expectation is that he will stay at Barcelona next season.
According to reports, he had been close to reaching a deal to extend his contract for two more years.
The 34-year-old's future has been a much-talked-about debate after he had his request to leave the club was denied at the end of the 2019-20 season.
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He ended up staying and said he would reconsider his options when this season was over. Now that it's over, many are wondering where he will be playing his football next season.
Which clubs could afford Lionel Messi?
Only a handful of teams could afford Lionel Messi, who has earned a staggering £492m over the length of his last four-year contact. All in a year's work and that, right?
As you can imagine, French giants Paris Saint-German have been linked with bringing the tricky forward to the French capital as have Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola keen to link up with the Argentine again.
Intriguingly, David Beckham - the current president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF - has spoken about the likes of Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo trying their luck in the MLS in America.
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It would come as no surprise if Messi was to make that move, too - especially with the likes of his former teammates in Xavi and Andreas Iniesta heading to Qatar and Japan respectively after leaving post-Barcelona.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Barcelona, Lionel Messi