Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu reiterated his confidence that Lionel Messi will commit his future to the club, while admitting the possibility of re-signing Neymar will depend on a player-exchange deal.
Messi's current contract is set to expire in June 2021 and local radio station Cadena Ser reported at the start of July that the Argentine had broken off talks with the club.
"Messi has said many times that he wants to retire here and I have no doubt that he will re-sign," said Bartomeu in an interview published by Barcelona's sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
The reported collapse in negotiations comes after a series of public disagreements between Messi and the club's board. He reacted publicly when sporting director Eric Abidal appeared to blame the players for the sacking of coach Ernesto Valverde in January.
Messi also led the fightback from the Barcelona players over a dispute with the board in March regarding pay cuts during the coronavirus pandemic.
Barcelona collapsed after La Liga resumed, dropping to second as Real Madrid took the title, with the 33-year-old forward calling the team "inconsistent" and "weak".
Last summer, Messi also criticised Barca's transfer activity after an attempt to sign Neymar back from Paris Saint-Germain failed.
Speaking on the possibility of the Brazilian forward making his way back to the Camp Nou, Bartomeu said any major transfer business would depend on including players in any deals.
"Now we are making decisions and the players, if they do not come as part of a player exchange players, it is very difficult for them to come," Bartomeu said.
Bartomeu said another priority was persuading German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, whose contract expires in 2022, to sign a new deal "not only for his quality as a goalkeeper but for his personality".
"He's a pillar of the dressing room and of the future," he said. "At 28 he's one of the three best in the world."
He said he was less concerned about Uruguayan Luis Suarez, who is a free agent next year because "depending on the number of games he plays, the contract automatically renews for the 2021-22 season".
Bartomeu also said talks with Inter Milan over Argentinian striker Lautaro Martinez were "at a standstill".
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
