Josep Maria Bartomeu has revealed when he expects Lionel Messi to quit football.
One of the greatest players to have graced a football pitch, Messi has enjoyed a phenomenal career at Barcelona while he is idolised by fans all over the globe.
At 31 years of age, the Argentinian continues to showcase his extraordinary talents week in week out and shows absolutely no signs of letting up.
However, Messi is reaching the stage in his career where footballers are often questioned about the future and the longevity of their careers.
Speaking to ESPN FC , Barcelona president Bartomeu praised their star man but is fully aware that even the best players have their limits.
He said: "Leo Messi is our leader, he's the best player in the world of football, he's playing with us, he's playing fantastically, but we know it won't be forever."
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If plans haven't been implemented already, they are being drafted as Bartomeu looks to shape the club ready for life after Messi hangs up his golden boots.
Bartomeu made a bold prediction about when he expects the main man to call time on his career, hinting at steps being taken to ensure the club are prepared.
He said: "Maybe in three, four or five years, Leo Messi will say: 'Ok, I am going to stop playing football.'
"So we are preparing our club for the future, for the time post-Leo, because we would like to still be the top club at that time."
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Examples of these preparations are visible within the Barcelona squad. Coach Ernesto Valverde has promising young talent at his disposal such as Ousmane Dembele and Marc-Andre ter Stegen , who possess the potential to become big stars.
For now, Bartomeu is focused on succeeding in tying Messi down to a new deal with the Spanish giants, whom the 'magician' has served admirably since the age of 13.
"He is young - you can see that [in his performances] - and he still has two years on his deal," Bartomeu said.
"He's always improving, always innovating. I believe he still has many years in front of him and in the coming months we will sit down with him so that he has many more years at Barcelona."
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Away from contract talk and retirement speculation, Messi and his team-mates are preparing to host Atletico Madrid in La Liga at the Camp Nou on Saturday evening.
This precedes two games in a week against Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals, where Messi will strive to continue in his role as one of the brightest stars on Europe's biggest stage.
