Messi & Iniesta until 2016

Catalan sports newspaper Sport reports that FC Barcelona is close to signing extensions that will keep stars Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta with the team until 2016. Both players are being rewarded for their elevated play over the past year, although another major motivating factor is to raise each player's buyout clause to levels beyond even the reaches of big spenders Manchester City and Real Madrid.

The deal with Messi is all but signed, according to Sport. The Argentine will receive a base pay of around 10 million euros, just higher than the 9.5 million euros Barca pays to newly-acquired striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However, Barca will need to spend more money to reach that number going forward, as Messi no longer qualifies for a foreigner-based tax rate. As such, Barca and Messi will be responsible for a 43% tax rate, as opposed to the current 23% tax rate.

Beyond the new base salary and undisclosed performance bonuses, the new agreement will call for Messi's buyout clause to be raised from its current level of 150 million euros to 200 million euros. It is hoped that this number will be high enough to discourage deep-pocketed clubs from poaching the Barca youth product, but it is thought that the new buyout figure is intended to demonstrate the will of the player as much as a financial disincentive.

Along with a new salary and buyout clause, the new contract will extend the agreement between the player and the club from 2014 to 2016.

Negotiations with Andres Iniesta are not as advanced as those with Messi, but he is in line for a similar deal to the one that the Argentine will sign in the coming weeks. Barca now sees Iniesta as part of the team's top player tier. As such, he will receive a salary similar to, but likely a bit lower than, those given to Messi and Ibrahimovic. Along with the the new salary, Iniesta will likely agree to extend his contract until 2016 and to raise his buyout clause from 150 million euros to 200 million euros.

The deals will bring both players close to "Barca for life" status. Iniesta will be 32 years old in 2016 and Messi will be 29.

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Contract renewal Iniesta close
Messi will be offered until 2016