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Former Barcelona president Joan Laprota is 'scared' that their talisman Lionel Messi will leave the club after his contract expires at the end of the 2020-2021 season.
Laporta, in an interview at Sant Joan de Deu hospital said, "I want him to stay in 2021 but I am scared that a bad decision of this board could result in an irreversible decision".
"It's not BarcaGate, it's BartoGate, I am worried about how the status of the club is being put at risk", he said referring to the current club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
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Lionel Messi could leave Barcelona at the end his current contract
Barcelona have had a topsy-turvy season in the La Liga, currently sitting 4 points behind arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of the table. With just two games to go, a win for the Los Blancos in their penultimate game of the season will see the 33-time La Liga champions reclaim the League title from the Catalans.
Despite huge investment in the squad, Lionel Messi remains the torchbearer of an underperforming team, recently becoming the first player to score more than 20 goals as well as assist more than 20 goals in a single League season. Current manager Quique Setien admitted that his side is heavily reliant on the Argentina international.
Bartomeu, in a recent interview, has indicated that there have been positive talks between the two camps for a renewal with the 33-year-old, "We've spoken, we are speaking and we will continue to speak with Messi. He wants to finish his career here, we will definitely renew with him, I am in no doubt that he will stay here", he said.
There have been persistent rumours of the tension between Lionel Messi and the current Barcelona board, especially Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu. Despite not bei one to embrace the limelight, the Barcelona Number 10 broke his silence regarding the departure of Ernesto Valverde when Eric Abidal suggested that the players had stopped playing for their former manager.
There is no doubt that any club in the world would love to add Lionel Messi to their squad, but realistically there are one or two clubs who can afford six-time Ballon d'Or winner. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City might be an attractive proposition, but Messi leaving Barcelona still seems unlikely despite the backroom politics.
