[ad_1]
Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman stays hopeful Lionel Messi will choose to remain at Camp Nou, however is “not assured” about that end result.
Messi is out of contract on the finish of the season and has been closely linked with Manchester Metropolis and Paris Saint-Germain.
The 33-year-old needed to depart final season after the membership completed with out a trophy and he fell out with then-president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Messi agreed to remain for the final 12 months of his contract when Barca refused his request and has impressed underneath Koeman, scoring 9 targets in his final 10 video games.
However Koeman just isn’t satisfied a happier Messi this season will end in him remaining with the membership for the long run.
“I am not assured about that,” Koeman stated to The Athletic.
“I am hopeful, sure, about this as a result of he is nonetheless a terrific participant and he is nonetheless profitable matches for us, for the staff.
“I am having fun with being his coach, for those who take a look at his qualities day by day within the coaching classes, it is unbelievable.
“In fact, he got here as a younger child to Barcelona. And I nonetheless do not see Leo Messi in one other shirt apart from the Barca shirt.”
Messi reached 650 Barca targets in Sunday’s 2-1 dwelling win over Athletic Bilbao.
After the match, Koeman stated Barcelona “cannot aspire to a lot” with out Messi as he mirrored on a leak by El Mundo which claimed the deal his captain signed in 2017 is price greater than €555million.
Koeman was thrilled to get the Barcelona job forward of 2020-21 however mirrored on how powerful it had been to instantly deal with the Messi saga, which was already underneath approach and has raged on since.
“It was a tough time as a result of he is nonetheless the very best participant, however he was indignant about some conditions within the membership,” added Koeman.
“And he was not completely satisfied that he was in a staff who misplaced 8-2 towards Bayern Munich within the quarter-final of the Champions League.
“In fact, he was indignant, he needed to go away, he needed to depart the staff.
“To start with, what I stated to the membership was, ‘OK, it isn’t my drawback. It is an issue between the membership and Leo Messi. And you must resolve that’.
“Lastly, the membership stated, ‘We don’t make a switch for him. He wants to remain’. It was a tough time for Leo however he lastly accepted it.”
Koeman has not had any points with Messi’s perspective.
The previous Netherlands head coach added: “I spoke to him in his home earlier than we began the season and I made plans with him and he was actually enthusiastic.
“I knew that he had some issues with the membership and I used to be out of that.
“I stated to Leo, ‘I am actually completely satisfied for those who keep. In case you don’t remain, it is your choice and it is what you must deal with with the membership. In case you keep, you can be a part of the staff and this will probably be your place to get all the very best out of your self’.
“Little by little, he accepted that scenario. And look how he’s enjoying in the previous couple of weeks, he’s actually concerned within the membership, within the staff.
“However no person is aware of what’s going to occur sooner or later.”
[ad_2]
Source link