Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman admits he’s ‘not confident’ that the club will persuade Lionel Messi
to sign a new deal the Camp Nou. The Argentine’s contract expires at the end of the season and Messi
is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with non-Spanish clubs. Messi requested to leave the Nou Camp
last summer and entered into a messy saga with his boyhood club, with the Argentine’s representatives
of the belief that a clause in the forward’s deal allowed him to walk away for free last summer.
Read Also: Messi creates another record as FC Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao
That didn’t materialize, despite Messi’s intention to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Ronald Koeman was appointed Barcelona manager at the height of the tensions between Messi and the club
The Dutchman kept out of the saga but though he insists he’s ‘hopeful’ Messi will remain at the club,
Koeman admits he’s ‘not confident’ the Argentine will do so.
I’m not confident about that,’ Koeman told The Athletic.
‘I’m hopeful, yes, about this because he’s still a great player and he’s still winning matches for us,
for the team. I’m enjoying being his coach, if you look at his qualities every day in the training sessions,
it’s incredible. ‘Of course, he came as a young kid to Barcelona. And I still don’t see Leo Messi in another
shirt other than the Barca shirt.’
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