MADRID (AFP) - Argentine star Lionel Messi on Friday signed a new two-year deal with Spanish and European champions Barcelona which will keep him at the club until 2016, the team announced on its official website.

A buy-out clause for Messi, 22, has also risen from 150 million euros (S$312.6 million) to an even more staggering 250 million euros.

"I'd like to finish my career here at Barcelona," Messi told the club website. "I feel like I am playing with a formidable squad with a strong, unified team."

Although the club did not reveal details of Messi's salary, Spanish press have reported that he is currently paid between seven and eight million euros a year.

Sports daily Marca claimed recently that Messi's annual wages will rocket to around 10 to 12.5 million euros a year under the new contract agreement.

Messi, who has been at Barcelona since he was 13, is one of the world's most sought-after players.

Last year, he helped Barcelona to a treble trophy haul and scored in the Champions League final win over Manchester United.

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