The player's father, Jorge, has already opened negotiations with the Catalan club over extending his current contract, meaning he will stay at Barcelona until he is at least 31.

The deal is expected to be structured so that it increases yearly, rising to $20million a year net before bonuses. Messi, 25, signed his last big contract in the 2009-10 season. That contract is heavily incentivized with his pay, after bonuses, in any given season automatically becoming his basic pay for the following season.

President Sandro Rosell is keen to extend that deal by two years to ensure he stays at Barcelona before fulfilling his ambition of a swansong in Argentina before he retires.

Top 10 richest footballers in the world

1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) $45m
2. David Beckham (Free agent) $42m
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) $40m
4. Samuel Eto'o (Anzhi Makhachkala) $31m
5. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) $28m
6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris St Germain) $26m
7. S ergio Aguero (Manchester City) $25m
8. Yaya Toure (Manchester City) $24m
9. Fernando Torres (Chelsea) $22m
10. Kaka (Real Madrid) 21m

From The Daily Mail