Manchester City have been told to forget about signing Lionel Messi by Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font.
Font is hoping to replace Josep Maria Bartomeu at the Nou Camp and had previously stated his intention to lure Pep Guardiola back to Catalonia.
Guardiola has since signed a new contract with City, who would be at the front of the queue to land Messi were the Argentine to leave Barca next year.
Font says he has spoken to City chief executive Ferran Soriano about the situation - and made his position clear.
"I already told him (Soriano) to forget about Messi, to look for alternatives to win the Champions League, because Messi will continue with us and we will win the Champions League," he told L'Esportiu de Catalunya.
Messi wanted to leave Barcelona this summer but eventually agreed to stay.
Asked how he viewed that situation, Font said: "With sadness. We have enjoyed Messi for so many years that we are not aware of what he has been and what he is. Getting into a situation where the best player in history, not for lack of love at the club, wants to leave, generates frustration."
Asked if the situation could be reversed, Font added: "It is one of the reasons why it is urgent for a new project to come to govern the club.
"We can guarantee you a competitive, winning project, which is what you need. He wants to win and he certainly wants to do it at Barca, because he is Catalan."
Font wants to bring in club legend Xavi - a former team-mate of Messi - to replace Ronald Koeman as manager.
"I know that Messi likes this leadership of Xavi in the whole sports project," said Font. "Beyond the fact that I would have to make him understand that this new project would not lead to the problems he has had in the past, we must also show him that the Barca-Messi association is strategic and must last beyond the day he retires. I think we will convince him."
