Messi's contract to count as a renewal

Without a contract at Barcelona since he ended his contract on 30th June, Lionel Messi's future has been the main story in the Catalan side for several weeks. 

Financial issues had made it difficult for hiom to stay, but Barca finally seem to have found the formula to make the number 10 stay at Barcelona and it seems a matter of time before his new deal is announced. 

Officially without a team, the general consensus is that Leo Messi would have been a re-signing beginning from when he penned his new deal, but the latest reports say the complete opposite. 

According to LaLiga sources, 'Sport' says on Friday that the Argentine star's new deal will count as a new deal both in legal and financial terms despite signing after 30th June. 

As it was initially thought he would be a new signing, Messi staying at the club would have meant it would have had to enter in LaLiga's 'one by four' rule (a club can only spend on new signings a quarter of what they earn on sales or save on salaries). 

Despite that, now it is said that the date the '10' signs his contract will not affect in anyway Barca's salary cap as it is classed as a new deal.