Negotiations to renew Lionel Messi's contract with Barcelona hit a stumbling block on Thursday, but the club are still hopeful of tying him down to a new deal, multiple sources told ESPN.
Messi, 34, has been a free agent since his previous terms expired on June 30, but ESPN reported last month that a loose agreement over a five-year extension had been reached.
However, sources told ESPN that talks to finalise the deal have been left up in the air after a number of problems surfaced this week.
There has been a radical turnaround in the case of Lionel Messi's renewal with Barcelona, with recent information being that the deal was close to being announced, yet a blockbuster revelation has suggested that Barcelona will now not be able to re-sign the Argentine.
Joan Laporta is aware of the situation and the fact that Messi is further from renewing with the Catalan club from every before.
The reality is that several levels of the club are aware of the situation and are exploring how best to communicate the result of conversations held on Thursday.
These conversations took place at a meal between the club and Messi's representatives, but the take-home point that whilst the meeting was cordial, Messi has never been further from renewing his agreement with the club than he is today.
