Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has said that he wants Barca star Lionel Messi to remain at the Catalan Giants amid reports linking him with a move away from the club.
A report carried by Spanish media outlet Cadena SER claims that Messi has stopped negotiations with Barcelona amid reports of growing tensions within the club. His current contract with Barcelona runs until 2021.
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“I don’t know what will happen but we hope not because he is in this league and we want the best in this league,” Zidane said after Real’s 1-0 win over Getafe on Thursday night, as per Goal.com.
As of now, Barcelona find themselves four points behind Real Madrid in the La Liga title race with just five matches to go in the season.
Earlier, Messi’s boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys’ vice-president Christian D’Amico had gone on record claiming that there remains a chance that Messi might finish up his career in Argentina.
“I don’t know if it’s impossible. It’s a decision exclusively made by him and his family. We have to have the best possible context to help make a decision,” D’Amico was quoted as saying by TNT Sports as per Daily Mail.
“When Maradona came to Newell’s, nobody thought that he would come either. I hope to do something similar with Leo. Obviously, that’s not to be selling smoke. It’s a difficult topic.
“What Newell’s fan would not dream to see the best player in the world with the jersey of their team on? Time might allow such things, you have to be calm,” he added.
Recently, Messi netted his 700th career goal after he found the back of the net in Barca’s 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou on Tuesday.