Lionel Messi wants to stay with Barcelona until the end of his career, says club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, amid rumors the star is unsettled.
The 33-year-old’s relationship with the club has come under considerable strain this year and his future with the Catalans had been called into question with his contract up next season.
Despite reports that Messi was looking for a potential way out, Bartomeu remains confident his man will stay at Barcelona for many more years to come.
“Messi has said he will end his working and footballing life at Barca,” he told Spanish network Movistar.
“I’m not going to explain the details because we are focused on the competition and we are negotiating with many players, but Messi has explained to us that he wants to stay and so we’re going to enjoy him for much longer.”
His comments came after Barcelona beat Villarreal 4-1 away on Sunday to keep its faint hopes of a La Liga title alive.
Messi was on hand with two assists but he could not add to his tally of 700 career goals.
