Lionel Messi extends Barcelona contract until 2021

Courtesy: Reuters

Barcelona: Lionel Messi ended months of speculation when finally putting pen to paper on Saturday to extend his contract with Barcelona until 2021, the club announced, making official an agreement reached in July.

The Spanish giants had announced in the summer that Messi, 30, had committed his future to the club but the Argentine had not signed the new deal.

With his previous contract set to expire in 2018, Messi could have left Barca for free next summer had he not extended his deal.

"FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi signed on Saturday morning a new contract that will keep the Argentinian superstar at the club through the 2020/21 season," read a club statement. "The buyout clause was set at 700 million euros ($835 million)."

The steep rise in the five-time World Player of the Year`s buyout clause from 300 million euros in his previous contract is designed to avoid any repeat of Paris Saint-Germain`s capture of Neymar from Barcelona by paying the Brazilian`s 222 million euro buyout clause in August.

Pressure has been mounting on beleaguered Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu to get Messi to put pen to paper.

Bartomeu was heavily criticised for his role in Neymar`s departure and a haphazard search for replacements in the final weeks of the transfer window.

However, Bartomeu saw off a vote of no confidence measure launched by disgruntled fans thanks to Barca`s fantastic start to the season, in large part inspired by Messi`s form.

And Bartomeu now has the image he craved of a smiling Messi tying the remainder of his peak years to the club.

Messi`s 30 trophies are along with teammate Andres Iniesta the most in Barca`s history, including eight La Liga and four Champions League titles.

The diminutive Argentine, who joined Barca at the age of 13, has also smashed 523 goals in 602 games to become the Catalans` all-time top goalscorer.

News of Messi`s renewal also comes as a huge boost to the La Liga leaders ahead of Sunday`s top of the table clash at Valencia (1945GMT).

Barca lead a revitalised Valencia by four points, with both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid a further six points adrift, thanks to a club record start of 11 wins and one draw from 12 games.