Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi quashed all speculations that he is leaving Camp Nou as early as January 2021. However, the Argentine confirmed that his time with the Catalans will soon be over and he is set to depart at the conclusion of the current campaign.
In an interview with Jordi Evole, Messi clarified that he does intend to make the same transfer request he sent out in August. The Barca captain said he is currently focused "on these next six months," and in finishing his contract with the La Liga giants.
However, the 33-year-old indicated that his move away from the club will likely happen next summer as he admitted that the prevailing situation at Barcelona is quite bad and likely irreversible.
"I want to wait until the season is over ... I know that things at Barca are really, really bad. It will be difficult to get back to where we were," Messi said, and per Bleacher Report.
He pointed out that things went bad with the string of bad decisions made by Joseph Maria Bartomeu, former president of Barcelona. Messi felt that the club chief misled him and shared information with the public that made him look bad.
Bartomeu also ignored Messi's transfer request even before the expiration of his release clause in June so the situation forced the Argentine to transmit his demand via fax. In the end, the Barca star opted to stay to avoid dragging the club into legal troubles.
The captain also lamented the manner Barcelona handled the exit of Luis Suarez, adding that he was in disbelief that the Uruguayan striker was allowed to join Atletico Madrid, "a rival fighting for same things as Barca."
Messi likewise discussed his football life outside of Camp Nou. He admitted that playing for an MLS club in the United States is one of his options but it is a scenario that will not play out in the immediate timeline.
Playing in the Premier League could be in the cards as well as Messi admitted that he talked with Pep Guardiola in recent months. He clarified though that the conversation with the Manchester City boss was not centered on reuniting and working together.
If a spell in Manchester is on the table, ESPN said Paris Saint-Germain is also a strong candidate to win Messi's signature considering the French club's resources. For his part, the Argentine is open to collaborate again with PSG star Neymar.
The tandem, however, is a remote possibility for Barcelona as Messi made clear that the club is short of money. Even if Neymar is willing to take a pay cut, the deal is hard to arrange for the Catalans, said the Argentina international.
While Messi declared his intention to leave Barcelona, he revealed a plan to return after his playing days and live in the city. He could work with the organization again and when that happens, Messi sees the sporting director position as more appealing than that of a coach.
