Messi refuses 30 million-euro offer from Russian club

ISTANBUL

Lionel Messi, AP Photo

Football star Lionel Messi reportedly refused a 250 million-euro move to an unnamed Russian club that would have included an annual salary of 30 million euros, Spanish sports daily El Mundo Deportivo has reported, according to Russia Today.

Messi reportedly decided to stay at his current team FC Barcelona instead of signing a three-year contract with the Russian Premier League side. It is believed the team could be Anzhi Makhachkala, which lured Cameroonian star Samuel Eto’o to the Dagestani outfit with an annual salary of over 20 million euros.

The Argentine star’s agent, who is also his father, also confirmed the offer, but said the language barrier and weather conditions were some of the reasons behind Messi’s decision not to accept the offer.

Messi recently extended his contract with Barcelona until 2018.