Lionel Messi is set to pen a new deal with Barcelona this week. The Daily Mail says Messi will sign a new contract at Barcelona, making him the best-paid player in the world, before the end of the week.
The player's father met with the club officials Javier Faus and Antoni Rossich last week and effectively closed the deal which will keep the player, who will be 27 in June, at the club until 2018.
Messi's £200m buy-out clause will remain but the player's wages are expected to rise to £15.5m net which will take him beyond Cristiano Ronaldo who earns £15m a season at Real Madrid.
With the complexity of bonuses and add-ons the gap between world football's top two will be minimal but Barca will now have bragging rights over Madrid until the capital club makes its next move.
