Chelsea Transfer News: Lionel Messi Hails Jose Mourinho as Fresh Rumours Ignite

Lionel Messi had high praise for Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho during the Ballon d’Or ceremony but insisted that his future remains very much with Barcelona despite rumours to the contrary.

The forward was quizzed on Mourinho after he was announced as runner-up to Cristiano Ronaldo in the race to be named the world’s best footballer. As noted by Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC, Messi was full of praise for the Portuguese’s managerial abilities.

“Mourinho is a great manager,” said the 27-year-old. “Whether you like him or not as a person, you can't deny he's a great coach.”

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Indeed, as noted here by 101 Great Goals, Messi actually voted for Mourinho as one of his three best coaches of the year despite the Portuguese not picking up any silverware in 2014:

A coalescence of these words, perennial reports linking Messi with a move to Stamford Bridge—per Jamie Sanderson of Metro—and the player’s claims at the gala that he was unsure about his future at the Camp Nou—per BBC Sport—have stoked the flames of speculation further. But Messi moved quickly to clear up any misrepresentation of his words.

“No matter what I say, my words get twisted, which is why I often don't speak at all,” said Messi, per Marca. “I'm in no way thinking about leaving.”

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Those comments will come as great relief to Cules who will have seen Messi’s aforementioned quotes earlier in the day. It looks as though the player is intent on firing Barcelona to glory in 2015. After losing the last two Ballon d’Or awards to Ronaldo, he’ll surely be doubly determined to notch his fifth edition of the award in a year's time.

Bleacher Report’s Janusz Michallik looks at how the Argentina international will go about doing that:

For Chelsea, Messi’s commitment to Barcelona will come as little surprise. Indeed, despite a flurry of reports linking the Blues with a stunning swoop for the Blaugrana icon, the club has claimed in perpetuity that the player will not be signing for the Blues.

Chelsea assistant manager Steve Holland insisted a deal for the forward is “impossible” for any club, per Liam Corless of the Daily Mirror, a sentiment previously put forward by Mourinho himself in an interview with Clare Balding:

Most tellingly, the player has also recently branded the speculation pure fabrication, per the Barcelona Twitter account:

The current tumultuous atmosphere at the Camp Nou has been cited as a potential expediting factor in Messi’s departure, but if anything, the club’s resolve to keep hold of the player could be hardened amidst these troubling times.

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With a transfer ban in place, the upcoming club elections—when presidential candidates typically boast of potential stellar acquisitions—will surely focus on which man is best equipped to keep their talisman in Catalonia, especially when you consider no replacement could be drafted in until January 2016.

It’s around that time during which Messi will be hoping to have won his fifth Ballon d’Or award and, despite the club’s recent tribulations, the team is beginning to take shape under Luis Enrique, with the scintillating attacking triumvirate of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez beginning to fire.

To win that award, you suspect the Blaugrana will have to sample myriad glories come the end of this campaign. Although Messi won’t be moving there anytime soon, it could well be Mourinho and his Chelsea juggernaut that stand between Messi, another European Cup and ultimately another Ballon d’Or success.