I'm sure Messi will leave if I don't win the election

Preparing to lead Barcelona for the second time, Laporta is confident that if he wins the elections, he will persuade Messi to stay in the team.

Barcelona Presidential Candidate Joan Laporta said he believes Lionel Messi will leave Barcelona if he fails to win the presidential election.

Laporta thinks Messi could be persuaded to extend his stay with the Catalan team, but he must manage to become Barça president for the second time on March 8, surpassing Victor Font and Toni Freixa.

What did Laporta say?

The former president of the Catalan club said he was confident that Messi would not stay if one of the two other candidates wins the election.

"I have a good relationship with Messi and I respect him very much. We will make an offer to him according to the club's situation.

"Maybe we can't compete financially with many clubs, but Messi is not someone ruled by money. His only wish is to finish his career at the highest possible level."

Messi's stance on the future

Messi had tried and failed to leave Camp Nou at the end of the 2019-20 season, when he was disappointed with the way the club was run.

The 33-year-old said he would stay with the club for another year to avoid a protracted legal dispute. The former president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, then resigned after intense pressure from fans and influential figures at the club.

Messi continued to lead the team on the pitch under Ronald Koeman this season, but left the door open to transfer to another club in December, in a statement:

“I don't know if I'm going, but if I do, I'd like to leave in the best way,” he said. "Barcelona is much bigger than any player, of course I'm included. I hope the upcoming president will do well to help us regain important championships."

With which teams is Messi's name known?

Not surprisingly, Messi has been attracting the attention of some of Europe's best clubs since the day he announced his intention to leave Barça in August.

While Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter are preparing to move for Messi, at the same time, the interest of Inter Miami, one of the MLS teams, in the Argentine superstar is known.