Messi will stay at Barcelona, says former Atletico coach Burgos

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 11 Aug 2021 14:27 BST
• 2 min read

Former Atletico Madrid assistant coach German Burgos believes Lionel Messi will ultimately stay at Barcelona beyond this summer.

The Argentine’s contract with Barcelona expires at the end of the current season, with speculation intensifying that he could leave the club he has been with his entire senior career.

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are leading the race for his signature, with FootballTransfers previously revealing that the Ligue 1 side had informed merchandise vendors to prepare for Messi’s arrival this summer.

As of 1 January, Messi became available to talk to other clubs about a potential free transfer.

Burgos, who has faced Messi dozens of times as assistant to Diego Simeone, doesn’t think he’ll leave the Camp Nou, even though the situation has been worsened at the club by the acrimonious departure of his friend Luis Suarez.

“From one day to the next they tell Suarez that they don’t want him. It’s complicated like that ”, Burgos told Infobae.

“They will fight to the end, but they are suffering,” he added with reference to Barcelona’s current struggles.

“Likewise, Lionel is taking it with nobility and honour because it is his home. 

“As a kid he was there. For him it is Argentina and Barcelona. Many say he’s going to leave, but I don’t think he’s going to leave Barca.”

Why is Messi unhappy at Barcelona?

Messi is disillusioned with life on and off the pitch in Catalunya, and asked to leave Barcelona last summer the club last summer after they were embarrassed by Bayern in the Champions League, losing 8-2.

At that time, he was also an outspoken critic of how the club was being ran by now-exiled former president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

The Argentine superstar may have stayed at the Camp Nou for at least another season, but things haven’t improved under new head coach Ronald Koeman.

Barcelona are facing elimination from the Champions League at the last 16 stage following their 4-1 first leg defeat against PSG, while they are also five points off the pace in La Liga in third, behind leaders Atletico Madrid who also have a game in hand.

They are also in a terrible state financially, and Messi was recently the target of criticism after his contract details were leaked to the Spanish press, leaving him angered at being blamed for the money issues within the club.