Exclusive: Lionel Messi will decide the speed of his contract renewal

Leo Messi will decide the speed of his contract renovation. The Argentine player, far from rejecting the idea of signing a contract extension as has been published, is delaying his decision. Barcelona are renewing the contracts of key players and discussions with Messi will start from January.

Taking on the leadership that he needs to at the club, Messi wants to be the last to renew so his negotiations do not affect those of his team-mates who are doing the same. 

This is not a question of money but of hierarchy in the group. Messi is not afraid he will not be able to stay at the club and the board are convinced they have to renew his deal. Thus, it will become so in the not too distant future. 

The club see this as a show of maturity from the player and there is no rush to race to an agreement. He has been at Barcelona since 13 and his relationship with them is good. The turbulences of the Rosell era have been left behind. 

Marca's front page about Messi rejecting Barcelona's offer to renew is an act of revenge against the club because they did not attend the newspaper's awards ceremony, as explained here.