AFTER initially rejecting an offer of a renewal in the final 12 months of his existing deal with FC Barcelona, newly wedded Lionel Messi has now officially committed his future in the club with a long term contract.

He will remain an FC Barcelona player till 2021. The club has confirmed the contract ahead of it actually being signed, with Messi due to formally put pen to paper when he returns to the club for pre-season training in the coming weeks.

There are speculations that the deal will come with an optional further year until 2022, while the mandatory release clause is said to have been set at €300m.

A statement issued by FC Barcelona said that: “the club is very happy with both the renewal and the commitment of Messi, the best player in history, who has played his full professional career at Barça and has led the team to an era of extraordinary success, the likes of which has never been seen in world football.”

Messi first arrived at Barça’s famed La Masia academy at the age of 13. Nearly two decades on, the 30-year-old has scored more goals (507) than any other player in Camp Nou history, has a record five Ballon d’Or awards to his name and is a four-time Champions League winner.

Messi, who married long-term partner Antonella Roccuzzo at the weekend, was disappointed not to bag a ninth career La Liga title last season, although he did finish the campaign with a fourth European Golden Shoe as the continent’s top goal scorer again.

—  Jul 5, 2017 @ 13:15 GMT