Lionel Messi: Pep Guardiola responds to Barcelona captain transfer links to Manchester City

Messi's Camp Nou future thrown into doubt earlier this week

Pep Guardiola wants Lionel Messi to stay at Barcelona for the rest of his career, despite speculation linking him with Manchester City.

Messi’s long-term future at Camp Nou was thrown into doubt earlier this week when he publicly called out Barcelona’s sporting director Eric Abidal.

Abidal had suggested Messi and his team-mates did not work hard enough under former manager Ernesto Valverde before his dismissal last month.

Messi took exception to Abidal’s comments and publicly denounced his former team-mate on social media, before clear-the-air talks were held between the pair and president Josep Maria Batomeu.

Messi’s current Camp Nou contract is set to expire in 2021 and contains a clause which allows him to leave Barcelona on a free transfer at the end of each season if he wishes.

City’s owners have long wished to sign Messi, who retains strong links with Guardiola, director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano.

Yet Guardiola said on Friday that he hopes Messi stays and eventually retires at Barcelona, where they won the Champions League together in 2008 and 2011.

“He’s a player for Barcelona, he will stay there,” Guardiola said, ahead of City’s Premier League meeting with West Ham on Sunday. “That is my wish.

“I’m not going to talk about players from other club. I think he’s going to finish his career there. It is my wish.”

Messi is yet to exercise the clause in his contract since signing terms in 2017 and, even after the fall-out with Abdial, any summer exit is thought to be unlikely.

City are monitoring Messi’s situation and would expect to be at the front of the queue if he were to leave Barcelona.