Chelsea Transfer News: Lionel Messi Blues Rumour Denied Amid Barcelona Exit Talk

Lionel Messi has reportedly denied claims he wishes to join Chelsea in the summer.

Speculation continues to suggest the Barcelona star's time at the Camp Nou is coming to an end. David Wright of the Express reported Leo "wants to follow" in Cesc Fabregas' footsteps and exchange Barca for Chelsea.

However, a report by Santi Gimenez of AS (in Spanish) suggests the player has made it extremely clear this isn't the case. The article claims Adidas, Messi's sponsors, haven't been in touch with plans of launching a move. Messi himself is also said to have contacted the press to deny rumours.

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Jose Mourinho also denied any links prior to Chelsea's Premier League tie with Sunderland, per Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC:

Messi's recent interview with Ole (h/t Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC), in which he admitted he wants to remain at Barcelona "forever," has failed to cool indications the Catalan club will cash in. Despite his obvious love for the team, Messi's other comments suggested he is powerless to ensure his career remains with the Blaugrana.

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"In football, things change all the time," said La Liga's all-time leading goalscorer, per Corrigan. "Although I have always said I would like to stay there forever, sometimes everything does not always go as you want."

Wright's article details a £200 million buyout clause which is said to have caught the interest of Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal. Realistically, the mega-riches of the first two clubs are most likely to snap him up if he ever becomes available. Whether or not this would be possible in an era of UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules remains to be seen, however.

While uncertainty remains off the pitch, Messi continues to impress when heading into action. The last week has seen him not only break Telmo Zarra's La Liga goalscoring record but also blitz Raul's total as the Champions League's all-time leading scorer.

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At just 27 he can look forward to breaking new ground with almost every goal he scores, unless of course, he exits Barcelona. Football writer Duncan Castles indicated this is a possibility in his guest column for B/R UK, suggesting the defining caveat of Messi's prolonged Barca stay will come down to money.

"Stated simply, Messi believes there is no better footballer than himself and he should be paid appropriately," writes Castles, who compared Messi's basic salary of €18 million a year to the €21 million earned by Cristiano Ronaldo per annum.

"That is one reason why Messi's services have been offered around the few clubs in Europe that could potentially afford such a stratospheric salary—in addition to the €250 million transfer fee Barca have allowed to be floated on the market," continued Castles. He provided more detail on Twitter:

It seems Messi will only exit if he is shoved through the door. He has at least confirmed exiting Barcelona isn't within his personal plans, so if something is to happen, supporters will likely focus their wrath at the club's board.

President Josep Maria Bartomeu recently indicated the player is "really happy," per 8TV (h/t AS). Even so, Spanish radio station Cope suggest he could be ditched alongside Bartomeu's likely exit when the club's 2016 presidential election arrives in 2016 (h/t 101 Great Goals).

Thoughts of Messi and Mourinho will continue to churn for Chelsea fans, no matter how unlikely the deal seems. A transfer to any European side before old age sets in would arguably be the biggest in the history of the sport, so it's likely to take a winning environment to convince Messi to move.

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Chelsea certainly offer that right now. Sitting unbeaten atop the Premier League and having easily qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, Mourinho's team would only galvanise their incredible squad depth with the arrival of such a star.