FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu addressed transfer rumors involving Lionel Messi, who have been linked to a move out of Spain over the past several months.
Messi is reportedly unhappy at Camp Nou and might move to another top-tier club before his current contract with the club runs out in June 2018. A team needs to pay €250 million to acquire Messi.
While the release clause is making it almost impossible for a team to acquire Messi, several teams, including Serie A team Paris Saint-Germain and Barclays Premier League squad Manchester City are reportedly willing to spend big time in order to acquire the Argentina international.
But when asked about the possibility of striking a lucrative deal with PSG or City for Messi, Bartomeu insisted that they have no plans to part ways with the 27-year-old forward and he expects their superstar to remain and finish his career at Camp Nou.
"Sell Messi? Impossible," Bartomeu told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Anyone who says that is just trying to unsettle him. Leo grew up here, at Barcelona, and therefore he is going to retire here. I think that's what he wants too."
Rumors about Messi's growing frustration at Camp Nou intensified when reports revealed that the Barca superstar is having a rocky relationship with coach Luis Enrique. Previous reports indicated that Messi and Enrique argued numerous times in training camp earlier this year.
Bartomeu confirmed that there was tension in training earlier this year, but he said the argument between Messi and Enrique is normal in a team with players and coaches who are all serious in reaching their goal.
"They're just squabbles between coaches and players. It's normal," Bartomeu said. "It happens in any place of work. A good team progresses as the result of conflicts and finding solutions."
Meanwhile, Bartomeu also addressed transfer rumors linking his team to a lucrative deal to acquire Paul Pogba, who is reportedly being shopped by Serie A club Juventus.
Recent reports indicated that Juventus are receiving attractive offers from several top-tier teams, including FC Barcelona, PSG and Real Madrid.
When asked about Pogba, Bartomeu declined to talk about a possible move to get the Juventus midfielder, but he said the France international is an excellent player.
"No comment. He is under contract at Juventus, a club we have the utmost respect for," Bartomeu said. "All I can say is that Paul is an outstanding player, so we'll have to ask Juventus if they have any intention of selling him."
