Barcelona seeking legal action after Messi contract details leaked

"The club regrets that the media in question boasts of having 'access to a huge number of documents and emails that are part of the Barcagate investigation' when this information is yet to be shared," the team said in its statement. "In any case, the article in question makes public documents that have nothing to do with the ongoing case and their use is an affront to the reputation and confidentiality of the club. For that reason, and with the aim of protecting Barcelona's rights, the club's legal department are studying the legal measures that need to be taken." 

According to ESPN, Messi and previous contract negotiations are not part of the Barcagate case, which is an ongoing investigation into wrongdoing by former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his board of directors. However, emails including conversations about Messi's contract were seized by police as part of the information-gathering portion of the investigation.

Messi, 35, spent 20 years playing for Barcelona before leaving the club in dramatic fashion in 2021 to play for Paris Saint-Germain in France's Ligue 1. El Mundo's report this week claimed that Messi made some very large requests during contract negotiations to stay with the team. 

There does not appear to be any kind of public reaction from Messi at this time.