deals to extend their stay at Barcelona. Messi's new contract will now
keep him at the Nou Camp till 2018, while both Puyol and Xavi have
extended their stay till 2016.
In an official statement released via their cloub website this
morning, the club said: "FC Barcelona can announce that it has reached
agreements with Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez and Leo Messi for the
renewal of their respective contracts.
"This news means that FC Barcelona has secured its ties with three of
its most important players. Over the course of the next few weeks,
Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez and Leo Messi will all be signing their
respective new contracts." This news came a few weeks after Puyol
admitted he was put negotiations onhold, to work on his form, after
suffering a string of injuries recently.
"I want to continue playing, but I do not want to be a passenger," he
said. "The moment I do not feel okay, I will stop, regardless of my
contract."
"I was concentrating on getting back to fitness," he said. "It was a
difficult time, but you have to learn from these experiences and they
make you stronger. I feel fine now. The moment I stop enjoying it, I
will stop playing"