FOOTBALL:Messi to ink Barcelona extension until 2018 on Thursday

Barcelona have announced on their official website that Lionel Messi will sign a new contract with the Catalans until the summer of 2018 on Thursday.

The Argentine`s current deal had been set to expire in 2016, but Catalans had already reached an agreement with the Argentine over a two-year extension in December 2012, and the prolific attacker will put pen to paper later this week.

Messi will reportedly earn an annual salary of €11 million after taxes, while he has a €250m buy-out clause in his new deal.

The 25-year-old is the third key player to sign a contract extension with Barca in 2013 after previous new deals for captain Carles Puyol and vice-captain Xavi.

Messi has made over 350 official appearances for Barcelona since making his official debut in 2004-05, netting nearly 300 goals in the process.