Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has brushed aside talks that Lionel Messi is unwilling to sign a new deal with the Spanish club and will leave at the end of the season in 2021. Bartomeu said Messi has already made clear his intention to remain beyond the expiration of his contract next year.
The club chief was responding to reports that the Argentine superstar is planning his exit from Camp Nou and has stopped all negotiations for an extended stay with Barcelona. Messi has reportedly grown tired of the infighting that the Catalans have been dealing with in the past months and wants to get out of Spain.
Bartomeu, however, is insisting that La Liga will see more of the six-time Ballon d'Or winner and that Messi will continue wearing the Barcelona shirt.
"Messi has explained to us he wants to stay ... And so we're going to enjoy him for much longer," BBC reported the Barca chief as saying, picking up on his interview with Spanish network Movistar.
It is the understanding of the Barcelona board that the Barca team captain intends to continue with the Spanish giants, Bartomeu claimed, adding he is looking forward to see Messi playing for the club through the end of his career.
Also, the Barca president hinted that negotiations are now underway for key Barcelona players to remain with the club but he refused to confirm if Messi's contract, which is set to expire in 2021, will be extended soon.
Bartomeu said he is focused on the competition for now, but he gave his assurances that an update on the situation will be provided soon.
CNN said Barcelona's campaign in the season has been plagued by internal problems that appeared to have been affecting the squad's performance. Since the games were resumed, the Catalan side has seen three matches end in draws, allowing rival Real Madrid to take the La Liga lead.
Pressure is mounting on the Barcelona squad to perform better while the feuds came into light. In recent months, Messi has sparred with club executives, who he accused of blaming the roster for issues hampering the club's performance.
The Argentine called out the Barcelona board during earlier negotiations over the entire roster taking a huge pay cut. Messi said the public was made to believe that players were unwilling to sacrifice amid the difficulties ushered in by the coronavirus pandemic.
In the end, Messi and the rest of his teammates signed the deal to reduce their salary by up to 70%, which the Barca captain said was proof of the roster's willingness to help the club continue operating while dealing with financial pressures.
Messi is believed to want to reunite with former Barca boss Pep Guardiola in case the rumors are true that his time with the Catalans is up by next year.
