Barcelona president, Josep Bartomeu has opened up about
wanting the club's star man, Lionel Messi to remain at
Barcelona.
Josep Bartomeu, the president of the football
Barcelona, has said he plans to offer Lionel Messi a new
contract in the hope the Argentinian will stay at the club his
whole career.
According to the Agence France Presse, AFP, Messi’s
current deal runs until 2021, the same year he turns 34, but
the Argentinian has been in brilliant form again this season.
He has 42 goals for club and country while his 32 scored in
La Liga have propelled Barca to within touching distance of
their fourth league title in five years.
“We would like to renew his contract, that’s the
idea,” Bartomeu told ESPN in an interview published on
Friday.
“I believe he still has many years in front of him and in the
coming months we will sit down with him so that he has many
more years at Barcelona.”
Messi joined Barcelona’s academy aged 13 and is one of
the few players left from Pep Guardiola’s iconic team that
won the treble in 2009.
In total, he has won nine La Liga titles with the club, as well
as four in the Champions League and six in the Copa del
Rey.
“Messi is a one-club man,” Bartomeu added. “It’s more than
what he does on the pitch, his relationship with Barca will last
forever.
“I use the example of Pele, who was always at Santos. We
want Messi to always be at Barca, whether that’s playing on
the pitch or being linked to the club (after he retires).”[color=#000099][/color]

Very true! For now and a long time to come Messi will remain the poster boy of Barca.

Barca cannot, will not, shld not allow Lionel Sabinus Messi to leave even if dey have to make him d club chairman becos their struggles would b worse dan what is happening to both Madrid, United and Chelsea combined