Barcelona Ambassador Ronaldinho Would Support Lionel Messi If He Left Club

It would be unthinkable for many in Barcelona to support talisman Lionel Messi leaving the club, and while club legend Ronaldinho wants his old team-mate to stay, he's said he'd back the Argentinian if he chose to leave.

Ronaldinho left the Camp Nou nine years ago, and despite the fact he still serves Barca in an ambassadorial role, he told Goal's Peter Staunton his bond with Messi means he'd get behind his decision:

"If it touches his heart to go to another club, even though I am an ambassador for Barcelona, I would support him but I would love for him to stay in Barcelona," Ronaldinho told Goal.

Questions surrounding Messi's future at the Camp Nou are once again rife, with the forward soon set to enter the last six months of his current contract, naturally causing some panic amid speculation of a departure from La Lig.

Staunton echoed previous reports that Messi has already agreed a three-year extension until 2021 and is simply yet to sign it, although La Liga president Javier Tebas recently provided another update on the matter:

It's also acknowledged in Staunton's report that Manchester City—managed by former Barca boss Pep Guardiola and one of the few clubs who might be able to afford such a move—remain "strongly linked" with the player.

Ronaldinho can empathise with Messi's current predicament, considering he was also once one of the most in-demand stars of the sport, who eventually departed for AC Milan in 2008 having spent five seasons in Catalonia.

Barca will be more desperate than ever to hold on to their man marvel, however, after having just sold Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record deal this past summer.

But Messi's importance to Barca is arguably matched by no other, and while Goal's Ben Hayward argues Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't even brought about Real Madrid's most successful spell, the same can't be said for his Blaugrana counterpart:

Messi would be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with any club outside Spain as of January, which would set him up for what would be the most valuable free transfer of all time next summer.

Ronaldinho hopes it doesn't reach that point, but having been in the position himself, the Brazil icon would be understanding in the event Messi chose to leave the club that showed faith in his talent 16 years ago.