Lionel Messi Plans to Retire at Barcelona, Claims President Josep Bartomeu

After a string of stunning displays for Barcelona since the turn of the year, it’s tough to imagine Lionel Messi ever donning the club colours of any side other than the Blaugrana. And according to Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu, it’s something we’ll never witness.

There have been reports linking Messi to a potential move away from Barcelona, with Manchester United and Chelsea reportedly keen on the 27-year-old, per Anthony Chapman of the Express. But Bartomeu has dismissed the possibility, telling Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Espana) Messi will never be sold:

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[Selling Lionel Messi?] Impossible. Whoever’s suggested that is trying to destabilise him.

Leo grew up at Barcelona and therefore will retire at Barcelona. I also think it’s his objective.

[The alleged bust-up between Messi and Luis Enrique] was incredibly exaggerated. In any case, conflicts between players and the Coach is normal in any workplace. A good team grow as a result of conflicts and finding solutions.

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There is a fair argument to suggest Messi should leave Barcelona in search of pastures new. After all, he’s won everything there is to win with the Catalan giants on myriad occasions, and while he’s playing magnificent football at the moment, a new set of challenges in a different division could see the Argentina star take his game on even further.

But Messi is a divine figure in Catalonia. Ever since Pep Guardiola shifted him into a false No. 9 position, this Barcelona team is set up to accentuate the abilities of arguably the greatest player of all time.

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There’s little sign of Messi's stratospheric levels of performance dwindling either, as noted by Squawka Football:

Barcelona are set on landing treble glory once again this season, and it looks as though Messi is relishing leading the charge. He was exemplary when Barca won three trophies in the 2009 campaign, and while the swagger that side boasted will make their reverence tough to surpass, there’s definitely a realistic chance of replicating their triumvirate of trophy wins.

MANU FERNANDEZ/Associated Press

Messi is arguably a better player now than he was in Guardiola’s side, though. As noted by former Barcelona player Gary Lineker, the Argentine continues to add facets to his already vast skill set:

He's playing alongside some of the world's finest attacking players at the Camp Nou as well, as noted here by Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe:

It’ll be intriguing to see how Messi adapts his game as he moves into the twilight of his career. He has the fundamental footballing talent to play to a grand old age.

Whether he’ll continue to do so at Barcelona will ultimately be his decision, you suspect, but it seems as though the club’s hierarchy is naturally keen to keep hold of him.

Encouragingly, Messi seems insatiable in his desire to succeed at Barcelona. Despite lifting a clutch of trophies in his career to date and breaking a plethora of various individual records in Blaugrana colours, for him, it seems as though each game offers an unmissable incentive to achieve more.

While that remains his mindset, Messi won’t be going anywhere.