Barcelona have not given up on keeping Lionel Messi despite the player’s dramatic transfer request on Tuesday.
The club’s new football director Ramon Planes – who replaced Eric Abidal last week – said that they are working long hours to try to head off the crisis and persuade Messi to stay, with Manchester City seen as favourites to land him.
Planes was before the media in Catalonia on Wednesday morning, with what was planned to be the unveiling of £27million Francisco Trincao after his move from Braga.
But the reporters wanted to know about the Messi situation, and Planes said they were trying to find a solution.
Planes said: “It was very important news. But what the coach, the president and I have said many times, is to think of Leo Messi for the future of Barça, to build a winning cycle together with the best player in history.
"Barça has rebuilt itself many times in recent times and he always comes back with much more strength. Our idea is to build a team around the best player in the world."
There is some confusion over whether the clause in Messi’s contract which would allow him to leave on a free transfer is still relevant – the club says it expired at the nominal end of the season on June 30, but the player’s camp claim it should extend to the end of the actual season on August 31.
When quizzed on it, Planes was not enlightening. He replied: “We do not contemplate any contractual exit, because we want Messi to stay. Internally we are working for long hours to find the best solution for the club and for Leo.
“We cannot make this a public dispute because neither Messi nor Barça deserve it. We are working internally to convince Messi.”
