BARCELONA TIE NEYMAR DOWN WITH NEW DEAL

Spanish side Barcelona have announced the signing of a new deal by Brazilian superstar Neymar which will tie him to the club until 2021.

The La Liga champions are now set to offer contracts to the rest of the team, with five-time Ballon D’or winner Lionel Messi and play maker Andres Iniesta next in line.

Messi’s current deal will expire in 2018 but the club’s management are not taking any chance as they want him to commit his future now. Iniesta’s deal is also set to expire in 2018 but the club wants to keep him at the Nou camp as well. The president of the club Josep Maria Bartomeu said last week that players with less than two years on their current deal would be evaluated. However, Spanish newspaper Marca claim that doesn’t hold true for Messi and Iniesta as the club will not hesitate to get their signatures now.

The club chiefs are keen on Iniesta ending his career at the Nou Camp and talks with the veteran player is expected to kick off soonest. The club is undergoing a £500 million redevelopment of the stadium which will extend till 2020. The reports say Bartomeu wants Messi to be available when they complete it despite other reports linking Messi to a big-money move to the Premier League.

Messi’s current deal is worth £18.8 million and he could receive a little raise as Neymar’s wages went. Luis Suarez is likely to have his deal improved on, especially with his sterling performance since joining the club. In the last campaign, he finished top scorer in the La Liga, breaking the stranglehold of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Javier Mascherano, Claudio Bravo and Jeremy Mathieu have less than two years on their current deal. Jordi Masip, Adriano and Munir El Haddadi will become free agents in the next summer unless the club decides on their future.