Laporta: Leo can still stay at Barca
BARCELONA presidential candidate Joan Laporta is confident Lionel Messi will remain at the club beyond next summer despite interest from City.
The Argentine dropped a bombshell in the summer by revealing he was unhappy at the Nou Camp, submitting a transfer request in the hope the Spanish giants would allow him to leave for nothing.
Barcelona insisted the release clause that would see Messi depart on a free had expired and the forward opted against fighting his current employers in court despite stressing his unhappiness at the situation.
Messi can negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from Friday and M.E.N. Sport understand City are interested in the Argentine superstar.
Barcelona will confirm their new club president next month with Laporta in the running to re-take control of the club. He believes Messi’s unhappiness at the Nou Camp can be reversed and expects him to stay.
“It is the result of poor management,” he said of Messi’s current situation. “The situation has worsened with Covid, but mismanagement is the origin of this consequence, having Leo like this. “The two things are reversible. The situation of the club is reversible and the Leo issue, I hope too.” Messi opened up on his situation in a new interview published in La Sexta earlier this week, revealing he has spoken to City manager Pep Guardiola.
“I don’t know how long my last chat with Pep Guardiola was, but we do talk,” Messi said. “We don’t talk about whether we are going to meet again. For me Pep is the best, he has something special.”
The 33-year-old admitted his future would become clearer after next month’s election and Laporta believes that is an indication he will listen to any proposals made by Barcelona.
Laporta added: “I think the most important thing is that Leo said he will wait for a new president to decide and, therefore, he would be willing to listen to Barca’s proposal.
“They told me they would wait until the end of the season. I think that is very positive.”