Lionel Messi ends speculation with Manchester City, reportedly signs new deal

- Lionel Messi reportedly signed a new contract with Barcelona

- The Argentine has been previously linked with a move to Manchester City

- The new deal signed by 'El Pulga' is understood to run until 2021

Five time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has dashed hopes of a reunion with Pep Guardiola after it emerged the Barcelona star has extended his contract at the Nou Camp.

The Argentine ace's future was initially in doubt as he had not put pen to paper on a new deal, with his contract due to expire next summer.

Lionel Messi ends speculation with Manchester City, reportedly signs new deal

Manchester City boss Guardiola has been linked with a move for the 30-year-old, who he used to manage with the Catalans.

However, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartom

"He doesn't need to sign it, his father already has. He is already playing with the new contract. There's no better test to his commitment than to see him play."

Messi's new deal understood to run until 2021, reportedly contains a release clause of €300million.

But Bartomeu previously told Sport.es: "Barça will never make a player stay if he tells us that he wants to go, as it happens in other clubs in Europe.

”We have a way of being different from other clubs, we think the players are happy here to play and to perform.

"It is the same if the clause is 500, 600, 1,000 or 1,500, we can put the clause we want because if a player wants to leave, we will have to sit down and talk to him to see how we do"

Lionel Messi is currently in top form for the Catalonia club scoring five La Liga goals from three games, making him the league's highest goal scorer.