Lionel Messi’s Barcelona future has been under speculation for a long time now. He has been free to talk to other clubs since January, and while no such talks have been held, his exit is still a possibility especially considering his notice to leave that he issued in the previous summer.
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However, boss Ronald Koeman thinks the young, up-and-coming Barcelona squad is a reason to convince the maestro to stay. Leo’s contract expires this summer and the club wouldn’t like to see him leave a free agent. For many, the hope is that the election of the new president, Joan Laporta, and the certainly improved squad since last season will suffice to convince the six-time Ballon d’Or winner to stay.
After the disappointing loss against PSG, with an aggregate 5-2, and the consequent exit from the Champions League, no one would blame Messi if he chose to leave. He may have been at Barca since he was 13, and has played for only one club ever since; however, this may have been his last chance at European glory and that’s what has the fans and management worried.
Koeman remains optimistic with the current Barcelona squad
The Dutchman spoke in a post-match press conference and said:
"“Leo’s seen for a while that the team is improving with the changes we’ve made.”“[There are] many youngsters with quality and a big future coming in, so it’s not a question of having doubts about this team.”Source: Goal"
While it is true that the team has improved since Koeman took over, there are still some kinks to be ironed out and there is room for a lot more. Certainly, with youngsters like Pedri, Ansu Fati, Ronald Araujo, Riqui Puig, Sergino Dest, Francisco Trincao, Ilaix Moriba, and Oscar Mingueza, the future looks bright for the Blaugrana.
Whether the squad and new presidentship with a promising future will be enough to convince the Argentine, only time will tell.
What are the chances of Messi remaining at Camp Nou?