Lionel Messi looks set to stay at Barcelona for another five years with reports emerging that he is on the brink of signing a new bumper contract.

There had been doubts over the superstar's future after his previous deal with the Catalan club ticked away and expired, leaving him in the unusual position of being a free agent.

While there were never any major rumours linking Messi with a move to anywhere other than the Camp Nou, it was still a nervy time for everyone involved with the club.

Fortunately, it looks as though he will commit his future to his beloved Barcelona, all while taking a massive 50% pay cut in order to do so.

Enter Giveaway 

In truth, there was very little danger of Messi going anywhere else. In the current climate, there are very few clubs who could afford him, even at the age of 34.

Manchester City was one of the potential destinations for Messi, but it seems English fans will have to make do without the GOAT in the Premier League.

However, controversial talkSPORT Simon Jordan hasn't been shy to claim that he is quite pleased that Messi won't be plying his trade on English shores.

"I don't want our league to be turned into the Harlem Globetrotters or a replication of the Galacticos mentality," Jordan told talkSPORT.

"The facts of the matters is if you get Lionel Messi now, he's not the Messi you would have wanted to have seen.

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"It's like Floyd Mayweather fighting Manny Pacquiao when he did. It was a good fight but it wasn't the fight we wanted to see.

"I'm not sad to not see him rock up here. I'm not sad to see the mentality of this enormous salary be brought into the Premier League so our poor underpaid Premier League stars can say, 'Hang on a second by that level, we're underpaid.'

"So I'm pleased he's staying with Barcelona. I'm pleased he's staying in that dreadful Spanish league where they have the audacity to point a finger at our league and say that we break the transfer records."

You can see where Jordan is coming from, but with Messi once again one of the hot favourites to win the Ballon d'Or, it is difficult to agree.

At whatever age, a player of the calibre of Messi would be a massive asset to the premier League and you can't help but feel disappointed that it simply won't happen.

Yes, it was unlikely on the first place, but a man can dream, right?