Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez has opined that he expects Lionel Messi to renew his contract with the Catalan club shortly.
The Argentine superstar's contract with Barcelona ends in 2018 and he is currently in talks over a new deal to extend his stay at Camp Nou. While the talks are yet to bear fruit, Messi's former teammate feels it is only a matter of time before both parties come to an agreement.
Xavi, who has made an incredible 767 appearances (second to none) for Barcelona, was speaking to Goal from the sidelines of Qatar's Khalifa Stadium, the 2022 World Cup venue, which has been developed and thrown open to journalists.
When queried regarding the ongoing contract situation with Messi, the Spaniard said, "I think the relationship between messi and barcelona is the best possible. Both messi and barcelona need to come out as winners.
"As a fan of Barcelona and being close to Leo (Messi), I wish and hope he renews with Barcelona. But it depends on him and Barcelona. I think they will reach an agreement," commented the midfield maestro.