A report that emerged earlier this week was the fuel fans needed to question Lionel Messi's loyalty to Barcelona. Today, the Argentine ace squashed those rumors that hinted he would leave the club, but he took the opportunity to send a powerful message to his employers.
Speaking in an interview with Catalan-based newspaper Sport, Messi admitted that the clause in his contract is there, but leaving Los Culés to join another club is something that has never crossed his mind.
"That clause and the amount of money I can earn mean nothing to me. Barcelona is my home and I want to stay, but the most important thing for me is to be part of a winning project," Messi said.
Added to that, the footballer admitted that winning the UEFA Champions League is the top priority for him right now.
"It's been a while since our last UEFA Champions League win, and I'd love to win one again, but I would not drop La Liga in order to win the Champions League,"Messi stated.
Then, the footballer turned his attention to Neymar's failed transfer back to Barcelona, and while he admitted the difficulty of such a move, he left a legitimate doubt up in the air.
"I would have loved it if Neymar had returned. Honestly, I don't know if Barça did everything in their power to bring him back, but I know that a negotiation with PSG is never easy," the Argentine said.
The footballer revealed he was speaking to Neymar when negotiations were taking place between Los Culés and Les Parisiens.
"I don't know what was happening within our board. I know what I talked about with Ney. He told me that things were going OK, he was really looking forward to get back here. I don't know if the club really wanted him to or not, but as far as I know, Ney was dying to return," Messi added.
Last, but not least, Messi spoke about his relationship with Antoine Griezmann. Experts have revealed that the duo does not enjoy the best of relationships, but the player stepped up to clarify such claims.
"I haven't really gotten a chance to meet him. Since he got here I have been injured, so I am training away from the team. We will have an opportunity to share a few things down the line," Messi concluded.
The footballer ruled himself out of Saturday's match against Valencia, since he has not been able to recover from a calf injury he picked up during his first training session prior to the start of the season.
