Barcelona presidential hopeful Agusti Benedito has claimed that Lionel Messi has not been happy with the club since they sanctioned the sale of Neymar.

Messi’s future at the Camp Nou has been at the centre of intense speculation after Barcelona were humiliated 8-2 in the Champions League by Bayern Munich.

And the 33-year-old Barcelona captain, whose contract expires in 2021, has reportedly demanded that the club should allow him to leave this summer.

Benedito, 56, is preparing to stand in Barcelona’s elections next year as he aims to succeed Josep Bartomeu as club president.

However, the presidential hopeful has blamed Bartomeu over Messi’s apparent desire to leave Barcelona and identified when the Argentine superstar became unhappy.

“Unfortunately, I think Bartomeu will finally achieve Messi’s departure from Barcelona,” he told Spanish newspaper Sport.

“It would be the latest error on a long list and the most tragic of the Bartomeu-Rosell era, which has been a nightmare for the history of our club. 

“If Messi was out of contract this summer, I am sure he would leave. Since Neymar left, Messi’s not been as happy.”

Paris Saint-Germain smashed the world-record transfer fee in 2017 when they secured the services of Neymar for a whopping £200m.

The 28-year-old Brazilian superstar spent four years at Barcelona and was part of the club’s famous ‘MSN’ attack force alongside Messi and Luis Suarez.

Messi has been heavily linked with Manchester City and a potential reunion with former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola at the Etihad.

Bartomeu has since broken his silence over the Barcelona captain’s future and insisted that he is “untouchable and non-transferable.”

New Baca boss Ronald Koeman is hopeful that Messi will remain at the Camp Nou for the new season, saying he would “love to work” with him.

source:- sportbible