As June came to a close, the 34-year old Lionel Messi's contract expired, allowing him to sign with any club he wants.
After his contract with Barcelona expired at the end of June, Lionel Messi became a free agent.Despite the fact that Barcelona hoped to re-sign Messi before the June 30 deadline, the 34-year-old is now legally unattached.
Messi is still expected to sign a new contract with Barcelona, but his status as a free agent will cause alarm among the club's fans and management.
What is the status of contract talks?
However, due to the complexity of Messi's demands and Barca's tight financial situation, a deal remains unclear.
Goal has heard that both parties are still talking about Messi's contract, including economic and tax difficulties, as well as the player's image rights.
Barcelona won the Copa del Rey in 2020-21, but failed to win La Liga and the Champions League, their two most important goals.
Messi's contract status
The fact that Messi is now a free agent adds to the situation's complexity. If Barcelona re-signs the player, he will have to register as a fresh signing with La Liga.
Barcelona would have to come up with a clever way to integrate Messi into La Liga's financial regulations as a fresh signing.
Barca have already been told by La Liga president Javier Tebas that unless they lower their pay, they would not be able to sign Messi for the 2021-22 season.
What happens next?
Barcelona remains optimistic that Messi will sign a new contract, but the Argentine's status as a free agent remains a source of concern.
Messi is now representing Argentina at the Copa America, where the Albiceleste meet Ecuador in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
Messi is calm and concentrating on his national team rather than his contract situation, according to Goal.