Josep Maria Bartomeu denies leaking Lionel Messi contract

Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has denied being the man behind the leaks of Lionel Messi's current contract at the club.

Full details of Messi's four-year deal, which he signed in 2017 and that is due to expire this summer, were leaked to the press last weekend.

El Mundo revealed various payments and bonuses that the 33-year-old will receive with the combined total that the Catalan club is to pay totalling an incredible £492m.

Bartomeu, who refused to allow Messi to leave the club for free last summer and who later resigned as president last October, has since denied leaking any details about the Argentine's contract.

"It's completely false [I was involved in the leak]. This is a very serious issue because it's completely illegal to leak any professional contract to the media," Bartomeu told TV3.

"It's easy to make accusations but this is not a joke and it's going to end up in court. Messi deserves everything he earns, be that for professional or commercial reasons. Without the pandemic, Barcelona would be more than capable of paying those numbers."

Messi, who has been heavily linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, is able to speak with other clubs across Europe and leave Barcelona for free in the summer.