Messi, Xavi, Puyol agree new deals
Reuters - Tuesday 18 December 2012, 10:47
Barcelona secured the futures of leading players Lionel Messi, Xavi and
Carles Puyol with renewed contracts on Tuesday.
World
Player of the Year Messi's deal has been extended by two years to June
30, 2018, which ties him until he is 31, the La Liga leaders said in a
statement.
The 34-year-old
Puyol, the club's captain, has agreed a three-year extension to June 30,
2016, which would effectively see the Spanish international through to
the end of his playing career at 38.
Xavi's
existing deal ran until June 2016 depending on appearances but the
32-year-old midfielder's new contract would now end then regardless of
the number of times he played, Barca added.
The new contracts will be signed in the coming weeks.
"It
is with great satisfaction that the board are able to bring continuity
to this successful project with the renewed deals for Xavi, Puyol and
Messi," Barcelona director Toni Freixa told a news conference.
"Puyol, Messi and Xavi are three basic pillars. It was essential to have our principal figures tied to the club.
"The buy-out clauses remain the same until there is a financial improvement."
Offering
Messi a further two years indicates how important the Argentine is to
the club and ensures they secure his services over the peak of his
playing career, injury permitting.
At
25, Messi has already set a number of club scoring records and is
favourite to win a fourth World Player of the Year award next month.
He
has been the top scorer in the world's highest-profile club
competition, the Champions League, for four years in a row, and hit the
headlines recently as he racked up his 90th goal in 2012 for club and
country.
'THE FLEA'
Barca
built their team around the fleet-footed forward over four
trophy-filled seasons under coach Pep Guardiola until he stepped aside
last May, and the transition to former number two Tito Vilanova has
failed to upset the 'the flea's' rhythm.
Messi
has already scored 25 goals in 16 La Liga games this season, the latest
being a double against second-placed Atletico Madrid in a 4-1 victory
on Sunday which left Barca clear at the top, and 13 points ahead of
their great title rivals Real Madrid.
Puyol
has been a central figure at the heart of the Barca defence for more
than a decade, famous for his commitment and aggression. His return
after a string of injuries has settled a backline that looked distinctly
shaky earlier in the campaign.
Speaking
at a news conference on Monday, Puyol said: "I want to play until I am
40. I want to continue playing... but when it doesn't feel right I will
stop whether I have a contract in place or not."
Like
Puyol and Messi, playmaker Xavi is a product of the club's acclaimed
youth academy, and has pulled the strings in midfield for more than a
decade.
With Cesc Fabregas
settling into the side more, and the talented Thiago Alcantara emerging,
Spanish international Xavi has increased competition for his place but
remains a vital part of Vilanova's plans.