Barcelona president Joan Laporta is pushing Lionel Messi to sign his new contract this week.

Both Laporta and Messi are in agreement for the captain to continue as his current deal expires on June 30.

However, some issues over the new arrangement are still to be settled and there is the prospect of Messi becoming a free agent at the end of the week.

Marca says it's a situation Laporta is desperate to avoid and he is now pushing Messi to put pen to paper inside the next 72 hours.

Indeed, Laporta has asked Messi to deliver him the ideal birthday present by signing his contract on Tuesday - the president's 59th birthday.