FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi is being linked to Paris Saint-Germain again, but club president Josep Maria Bartomeu denied that they are considering parting ways with the forward.
Recent reports indicated that Barcelona will soon consider striking a big-money transfer deal with PSG for Messi, but Bartomeu said that the club plans to keep Messi in the long run - even after his current four-year contract with Barca expires.
"It's not true," Bartomeu said of the Messi transfer rumors via L'Equipe. "Never have we had this type of discussion about Messi. In April or May I said that we would make radical changes, but with Messi as the leader. He's under contract for the next four years and it won't be the last with Barca. He's still young and ambitious."
Barcelona and Messi had a rough time negotiating for a new deal. Reports indicated that the Argentine forward sat down with PSG during that time about their interest in breaking the bank to reach a deal with Barcelona.
When asked about the rumors suggesting that PSG tried to court Messi, Bartomeu denied any knowledge about it.
"I have no information that Messi might have spoken to PSG," Bartomeu stressed. "We're opponents on the pitch but also off it, with regard to sponsors and players."
Messi has already scored six goals and kicked in seven assists in eight games in all competitions for Barcelona this year, including one on Tuesday, but it was not enough to lead his club to a win.
Barcelona took a 3-2 loss to PSG in the UEFA Champions League group stage showdown at the Parc Des Princes in France, which is their first loss in all tournaments this season.
PSG played without star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but they had enough firepower to defeat the Spanish giants. Coach Luis Enrique took the blame for the loss.
"The explanation is very clear. We found an opponent at the same level as ourselves, who overcame our pressure," Enrique said via ESPN FC. "It was not as good as we expected. We had clear chances at the end and could have equalized. I am not saying the result was unfair, but a draw would have been just, too."
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