Barcelona star Lionel Messi will be due a massive loyalty bonus next summer – even if he chooses to leave.
ESPN says when Messi signed a four-year deal in 2017 the contract included a £60million (€66million) loyalty bonus.
Messi received half of that bonus in February and he is set to receive the second half when his contract expires, irrespective of whether he remains at Barcelona.
If Messi had left Barcelona earlier this year then he would have given up the second half of the bonus.
The 33-year-old submitted a transfer request and was heavily linked with a reunion with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, but ended up staying at the LaLiga club.
Barcelona are struggling financially due to the coronavirus pandemic and need to knock £170million (€190million) off their wage bill.
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