Leo Messi returns to Barcelona; set to sign new contract in early August

Leo Messi returned to Barcelona this morning, accompanied by his family. However, this will only be a flying visit before the next stage of their holiday. This is nothing out of the ordinary for the Argentina captain. He normally spends a few days with his family (parents, siblings, wife and children) in the Caribbean - in this case, they have been in Miami - before spending a few days in Europe, often somewhere on the Mediterranean.

After swinging by their home in Castelldefels, the Messi family will likely head off later today for the last few days of their holiday.

Contrary to reports, Messi will not train with Barcelona before he has penned a new deal. His first contact with club officials will be to sign his new contract. As SPORT reported last Sunday, Messi is likely to extend his stay with Barça in early August, with Monday 02/08 looking to be the all-important date.

After signing his contract, Leo will undergo the corresponding medical and physical assessments before he can return to training. At first, he will only be training with Kun Agüero and Emerson, as the rest of the first team squad will be in Germany on the pre-season camp.