Barca to announce Messi deal before Juventus Gamper clash

Barcelona hope to announce Lionel Messi’s new contract within the next week.

According to The Sport, Barca hope to announce Messi’s new contract in the first week of August in order for the Argentine star to play in their Joan Gamper Trophy class with Juventus on August 8.

Messi has been a free agent since his £500,000-a-week contract expired on June 30 but has agreed to a 50 percent pay cut in order to remain a Barca player for another five years.

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But the Catalans’ financial issues mean they need to balance their books and slash their wage bill in order to comply with LaLiga’s strict salary cap before they can register Messi as a player.

The 34-year-old is scheduled to return for pre-season training on August 2.