Messi reveals he wanted to leave Spain after tax fraud jail row but didn’t get any offers

LIONEL MESSI revealed he plans to end his career at Barcelona – despite admitting he wanted to quit Spain in the wake of his tax bill row.

The Argentina superstar was found guilty of defrauding authorities of £3.6million between 2007 and 2009 – but despite having made a corrective payment of £4.4m in 2013, he was sentenced to 21 months in prison, reduced to a fine of £223,000 in 2017.

It almost forced Messi out of the club he joined in 2001 as a 13-year-old.

He said: “In 2013/14 I did want to leave Barca. The situation went beyond what BY ALAN MARSHALL I felt for the club. With the mess of the treasury, I wanted to leave – not wanting to leave Barca but wanting to leave Spain. I felt mistreated.”

There would have been no shortage of suitors had he gone through with his intention but Messi accepts no-one actually considered he was serious.

He said: “I never had an official offer because everyone knew my idea was to stay here.”

With the issue now in the past the 32-year-old is looking to the future but, despite a clause in his deal which would allow him to leave next summer for free, he dismissed talk he will hang up his boots at boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys.

He said: “Yes, my idea is to stay for many years. I’ve always thought this way, nothing has changed.

“I don’t think there is anything new to report regarding my contract extension but there will surely be no problem. With the club, everything’s simple.

“From my childhood I have dreamed of playing for Newell’s but sometimes one has to prioritise family.

“It’s clear that my idea is to finish my career at Barca. Especially because of what I feel for the club.”