Bartomeu explains how Barca are preparing for life after Messi

The president plans to offer the GOAT another contract

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has been talking about his plans to sit down with Lionel Messi and offer the captain another contract extension at the Camp Nou.

The Barca captain has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down and is enjoying another prolific season, with the club still in contention on three fronts.

Messi’s current deal runs until 2021 when he’ll be 34, and Bartomeu also says the club are already planning for life after the GOAT.

“So we are preparing our club for the future, for the time post-Leo. Because we would like to still be the top club at that time. So, it’s a way of working, of investing, also of taking risks.

”We invest in young players, on homegrown players from La Masia, but also on bringing players from other clubs, just to keep this level of excellence.

”Sometimes I explain to members of the club and the board, what we are doing is bringing right now very young players to the club. Young players that we think are very talented: [Clement] Lenglet, Ousmane Dembele, Arthur Melo, Frenkie de Jong, Marc-Andre ter Stegen is still very young.

”There a lot of players that will continue playing after the Messi era.”

Source | ESPN

Barcelona have been investing in youth in recent transfer windows and that trend looks set to continue this summer with 19-year-old Matthijs de Ligt and 21-year-old Luka Jovic reported to be the club’s top targets.