Lionel Messi ‘Wants To End His Career At Barcelona’ Says Josep Maria Bartomeu

The current situation in Barcelona has been filled with uncertainty with the recent sacking of manager Quique Setien. Questions about the future of Lionel Messi have been abundant but club president Josep Maria Bartomeu reassures the Barcelona faithful that their star will stay.

“Messi wants to end his career at Barcelona," told Barca TV, by way of Goal.com.

Several sources have shared Messi’s desire to remain with Barcelona and Bartomeu sets the club’s supporters' mind at ease.

"I regularly speak to him and his father. He’s part of our project. [Ronald] Koeman will be the new manager and he told me that Messi is a key player for our new project,” Bartomeu added.

The team is currently in a tough position given how they were eliminated in the Champions League care of the hands of Bayern Munich. It was a major defeat that saw the Camp Nou-based squad fall 8-2. Several players stepped up against Barcelona that saw a total collapse of the defense as the team lost entire control of what was happening on the pitch.

This served as the last match of Setien before he was fired as the club’s head coach. The tenure of the manager lasted for seven months where he led the club in 25 matches with 16 wins, four draws and five losses.

Going through certain major changes, the club is looking for a revamp of their roster over the summer. With Ronald Koeman lined up as the next manager, Barcelona is looking to make more adjustments in the near future.

"The renovation will be as deep as necessary," Bartomeu continued.

This setup aims to still revolve around Messi but they are open to signing new names to deepen their lineup.

"I decided to give this generation the opportunity for another year. Perhaps it was time to start the renovation last year," Bartomeu concluded.

The board of the directors calls the shots around the club and ensuring Messi remains happy is one of their priorities. It will be interesting to see how Barcelona bounces back after this major change. With players such as Messi on the team, nothing short of excellence is expected from Barcelona in their restructuring program moving forward.