Barcelona announce new contracts for four key first-teamers

11:00am on Wednesday 21st October 2020
By Paul Macdonald

Barcelona have confirmed the signings of four first-team players onto extended contracts as the club looks to tie down key talent.

Gerard Pique, who was sent off in Tuesday's 5-1 win over Ferencvaros in the Champions League, has renewed until 2024, while his central defensive partner Clement Lenglet has penned a new deal until 2026.

Frenkie de Jong, who has been one of Barcelona's best performers this season and looks reborn under Ronald Koeman, has also been rewarded with a new deal until 2026.

And, perhaps most crucially, goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has finally signed a new deal until 2025, after months of negotiation during which the German wished to be considered among the highest earners at Camp Nou.

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4⃣ Renewals! ✍

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Barcelona are in a precarious position financially and have been forced to offload high earners such as Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal and Luis Suarez from the books.

But their move to tie down the spine of their team for the next few seasons will be a relief to many Cules fans, as future transfer activity is predicated on selling before they can buy.

And they will now wonder if Lionel Messi, whose current deal expires at the end of the 2020/21 season, may be persuaded to renew.

The Argentine is notoriously unhappy with club president Jose Maria Bartomeu, but the elections next summer - which may come sooner if the recent vote of no confidence against Bartomeu is ratified - will almost certainly lead to his departure and a new era at the club.

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