Barcelona Transfer News: Lionel Messi Retirement Plan Revealed by Gabriel Heinze

Former Manchester United and Real Madrid defender Gabriel Heinze believes Lionel Messi will end his career with Argentine outfit Newell's Old Boys.

Heinze, who spent the last two years of his career with the Rosario-based club, insists Messi will also be attracted to playing for the side he represented at youth level. The retired left-back's comments were reported by Marca, via Liam Prenderville of the Mirror:

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Messi will retire at Newell's, there's no need to convince him of anything. I don't see him wearing any other shirt in Argentina than that of Newell's and he will retire at Newell's. I had played very few games in Argentina and never thought of going back there to finish my career. But the last two years I spent with Newell's Old Boys were the best of my life.

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Messi moved from Newell's to play for Barcelona's junior teams in 2000. He has since become one of the sport's all-time greats and recently broke the 400-goal mark. It is often speculated that the player's future lies away from Camp Nou, though there has never been any indication from the individual that he wishes to exit.

A return home would make perfect sense, however. Ageing footballers often decide to represent the club that first gave them the opportunity to shine. This is particularly true in Argentina, where young starlets are commonly shipped off to Europe before they can make a significant impact for their local side.

Alongside Heinze, Sergio Aguero recently vowed to head back to Independiente at the conclusion of his Manchester City career. This is an excellent method of giving back to the club and community and a subtle way of maintaining a competitive career, as veteran stars often excel away from Europe's elite leagues.

Heinze's comments go against previous statements made by Messi. Upon signing his new Barca contract in January, the four-time Ballon d'Or winner said: "I want to retire here. While people want me, I want to spend my whole career at FC Barcelona," reported by the club's website.

Club president Josep Bartomeu recently had his say on the matter. "The possibility of Messi moving keeps on coming up, but we haven't considered it," he told Marca. "He's very happy here and we'll have Messi for many years. I hope he'll retire at our club."

Messi potentially has another decade of football left in him. Considering he is only three goals off breaking Telmo Zarra's La Liga record of 251, reported by Stuart Fraser of the Mail Online, it's unthinkable to suggest what the record will be by the time Messi leaves Barcelona.

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It wouldn't be surprising to see the call of home lure Messi over money. He could easily earn massive amounts of cash at another top European side, regardless of his age, but he may prefer seeing his playing days out in a more docile division. Diego Maradona did just that upon the conclusion of his European career and extended his playing time significantly.

Heinze may be trying to influence Messi's decision. Once he hits 30, speculation is destined to centre on when and where he will retire. This isn't an unusual part of the game, particularly when you're an era-defining player who is associated to one club. Messi's impact is so great he will pretty much be able to determine exactly which club, if any, he wishes to play for after Barcelona.