Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/765642
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 21 DECEMBER 2016 23 Sport Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Wednesday WEATHER: Partly cloudy VISIBILITY: Good WIND: Variable force 3 decreasing to force 2 to 3, becoming East Southeast force 3 to 4, locally force 4 to 5 overnight. SEA: Rough becoming moderate to rough SWELL: Low to moderate Southeast becoming low A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 White to play and mate in four moves A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Last week's solution Sudoku rules are extremely easy: Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 9x9 box. PARTLY CLOUDY 19 º C / 13 º C UV INDEX: 2 Today's Weather Chess Sudoku Pursuits Across 1. Blood clots in the veins (10) 8. Motion picture (5) 9. Newly married woman (5) 10. Microbe (4) 12. Stinging plant (6) 14. Delicate in meaning (6) 17. Reflected sound (4) 21. Highways (5) 22. Move slowly (5) 23. Water line (5,5) Down 2. Hang suspended in the air (5) 3. Baking chamber (4) 4. Christian writings (5) 5. Quick (5) 6. Surrey village (5) 7. Complacent (4) 11. Encountered (3) 13. Golfers mound (3) 14. Dry stalks (5) 15. Animal (5) 16. Intense light beam (5) 18. Long for (5) 19. Lubricates (4) 20. Land measure (4) Qxb8+ Kg7 (or Kh7) Qxh8# FOOTBALL Barcelona set to make Lionel Messi world's highest paid player LIONEL Messi could become the highest paid player in the world if he signs a new contract at Barcelona, according to the club's president Josep Maria Bartomeu. Cristiano Ronaldo agreed a £365,000-a-week five-year contract with Real Madrid last month, but Bartomeu claims Barcelona will top that to pre- vent Messi from departing the Camp Nou despite his current deal expiring in 2018. Messi has been linked with moves to the Abu Dhabi-fi- nanced Manchester City in the Premier League while Hebei China Fortune, managed by Manuel Pellegrini in the Chi- nese Super League, are appar- ently willing to offer the Ar- gentina player £500m-a-year to move to the Far East. But Barcelona do not appear to be overly concerned about the prospect of losing Messi. "There are no doubts that sooner or later we will close (Messi 's) renewal," Bartomeu said at a media conference on Tuesday as he ref lected 2016.. "I hope that he ends his sporting career here, and after that I'm sure he will remain linked to the club. He is with- out doubt the best player in the history of the game, and we will make a huge effort to re- new his contract. Bartomeu has also appar- ently taken a swipe at Ronaldo, claiming Messi was more de- serving of a sixth Ballon d 'Or rather than Ronaldo winning his fourth last week. "When you hear the rest of the world speak about him, there's no possible doubt," said Bartomeu. "You don't need to be a Barca fan to recognise the merits of Messi the player. He's No. 1 without doubt. "Messi is a Barcelona player, he feels Barca in his heart. I need to sit down and talk with him and his representatives, and I think he's convinced he's in the best place. We are, too." Lionel Messi