Barcelona spokesman Josep Vives has denied rumours the club are preparing a contract extension for star forward Lionel Messi.

As reported by Sport, Vives pointed out the Argentinian has only recently agreed to a new deal, saying: "Messi's renovation is not on the table. We just renewed his contract, so the question seems anecdotal."

Mundo Deportivo (h/t Juan Jimenez of AS) set off the rumour mill by reporting the Blaugrana were offering a one-year extension to go with a clause preventing the forward from joining an "elite club" if he were to leave.

According to Sport, his current release clause is €700 million and he makes €50 million per year.

The 31-year-old's contract runs until 2021, but Mundo (h/t Jimenez) reported there's a clause written into the deal for a transfer a year early if the move isn't to one of the other elite clubs. The Catalan outlet also claimed team president Josep Maria Bartomeu had given Messi his word.

The latest round of contract speculation has coincided with reports Manchester City tried to add him to the team, although the club has denied the reports and stated it all came down to miscommunications, per Goal's Sam Lee.

Lee explained what happened:

City manager Pep Guardiola and Messi combined well during their time together, and the forward could be the missing piece that finally delivers European glory for the Sky Blues.

Messi has spent his entire professional career at the Camp Nou and has never seemingly been close to an exit. His loyalty has been rewarded with numerous lucrative contract extensions, as Jimenez reports he has signed eight new deals since 2005.

Spain uses mandatory buyout clauses and the rising transfer fees have contributed to the renewals. Per the report, his previous clause was worth €250 million, less than €30 million above the fee Paris Saint-Germain paid for Neymar.

He is once again leading the charge for Barcelona with six goals and four assists in La Liga. That saw him earn the Player of the Month award:

Messi has also bagged a remarkable five goals in just two UEFA Champions League fixtures.