Lionel Messi conquered his final career Everest this last weekend as he got his hands on his first piece of international silverware.

After so many painful 'oh-so-nears' the man widely considered to be the greatest footballer to have ever lived went one step further with his beloved Argentina to claim continental glory.

Messi was on fire throughout, topping just about every single key metric in terms of statistics across the entire tournament.

In truth, he was man possessed as he ruthlessly hunted down that elusive international winners' medal.

However, while all of this was going on, Messi's club future was shrouded in doubt.

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Enter Giveaway

In fact, the Argentinean maestro has technically been a free agent for a few weeks now, after his previous blockbuster Barcelona contract ticked away and expired.

While there hadn't been any tangible rumours linking him with a move away from Catalonia, the fact that he was out of contract would have been massively concerning for the club and fans alike.

Fortunately, news has today emerged that Messi is once again ready to sign on the dotted line with his beloved club, but the deal in question could look incredibly different to the previous one.

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That is because, according to the Daily Mail, Messi has agreed a deal in principle to be slapped with a massive 50% wage cut, slicing his previous monstrous wage of £500k per week in half.

On the positive side, while his wages might veer off a cliff, the deal is believed to be for a further five years, keeping Messi at Barcelona until the rip old age of 39.

It is believed that Messi understands the financial pressure the pandemic has forced upon the club wants to set an example to other members of the team.

There are also reports that the contract contains a whopping £320 million termination clause.

More to follow...

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