Lionel Messi Not Leaving Barcelona As Club Begins Rebuilding Process, Report Says

Lionel Messi is likely to stay at Camp Nou as Barcelona sources have insisted that he has not expressed a desire to leave, a report said.

Barcelona suffered a record-breaking loss to Bundesliga champs Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Friday. After the humiliating defeat, Barca is now looking to resolve some of the major issues the club has been dealing with as it called for an emergency board meeting at Camp Nou on Monday, Yahoo! Sports reported.

Among the topics to be discussed by under-fire president Josep Maria Bartomeu and other Barca officials is the future of coach Quique Setien, who is expected to be replaced after once again failing to help Barcelona become a serious title contender. Messi’s frustrations over the team’s poor showing will also be addressed.

But as for reports claiming the six-time Ballon d’Or winner wants out of the club immediately, a Barcelona source told AFP that Messi has not spoken to club bosses about leaving in the near future.

Instead, the one most likely to depart is Setien, who has been taking most of the blame for Barcelona’s struggles.

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman is among the most talked-about personalities to take over Setien's post. The Dutch manager, who was spotted arriving at Barcelona airport on Sunday, is believed to be the frontrunner in the Barca's coach search.

Prior to Koeman, the candidates mentioned included Barcelona all-time great Xavi Hernandez, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Bartomeu’s call for an urgent meeting is believed to be the start of Barcelona’s rebuilding process. Aside from discussing Setien’s departure, another expected outcome of Monday's meeting is the club's presidential elections final date.

The event was initially set for June 2021, but the board may hold it earlier than scheduled, the report added.

Apart from Messi, Barcelona vice-captain Gerard Pique was also frustrated about the team’s 2019/20 season. Following the “disgraceful” 8-2 defeat to Bayern, Pique urged Barca to start an overall team rebuilding emphasizing, “structurally, the club needs all type of changes.”

The 33-year-old even said that he is open to being replaced by younger talents if it comes down to it, saying, “I'll go if new blood has to come in and change this dynamic because we've hit rock bottom.”