Madrid - Victor Valdes has agreed to extend his contract with European champions Barcelona until either 2014 or 2015, according to his agent Gines Carbajal on Friday.

Carbajal told various Spanish media sources that "the deal is closed," without offering details of the agreement.

Barcelona have still not made an official announcement about the extension. The current contract of Valdes, 27, was due to expire in 2010.

The websites of Madrid papers AS and Marca reported that Valdes had extended his contract until 2014, Catalan papers Sport and Mundo Deportivo say the deal is until
2015.

According to the websites of Marca and Sport, Valdes - first-choice goalkeeper since 2003 - has finally agreed to a salary of around 7 million euros (9.75 million dollars) per season, after demanding 9 million for several months.

This insistence on a 9-million-euro salary had made the negotations tense and arduous.

Valdes has never been popular among Barca fans - despite helping them to two Champions Leagues and three Spanish Ligas - and his apparent obsession with being the highest paid player at the club has damaged his public image.

It was rumoured that Barca were considering signing Valladolid teenage keeper Sergio Asenjo in case Valdes refused to extend his contract. (dpa)