If Catalan daily Sport are to be believed, Lionel Messi's current contract with FC Barcelona could well be exceeding beyond the summer of 2018. It's because, apparently, the Argentine football legend has already signed an extension with the La Liga side, former Barca star Hristo Stoichkov has claimed.
Miss Bumbum Suzy Cortez going topless now for Messi's contract extension?
"Messi renewed six months ago," Stoichkov, 51, who won five Spanish league titles with the club between 1990 and 1998, has told the Spanish publication on Tuesday.
If that is the case, fresh questions arise as to why the club has not officially confirmed Messi's contract extension or even termed Stoichkov's statement on Messi as false.
Is it also another ploy by FC Barcelona to dampen the hopes of Messi's suitors -- which include Manchester City -- in the most embarrassing manner? Questions we need to find an answer to.
According to Transfermarkt, the most genuine place on the internet to find details on the contracts of footballers, Lionel Messi, whose has been a part of the FC Barcelona senior team since July 1, 2014, last signed a contract extension on May 17, 2014.
And as mentioned, his present contract with the club expires on June 30, 2018.
Interestingly, FC Barcelona, late on Tuesday, published excerpts from Stoichkov's media interaction on their website, but has mentioned nothing about the former player's comments regarding Lionel Messi's contract.
A rare photo of Messi's first professional contract with Barca:
