Ivan Rakitić: "I Can't Say with 100% Certainty if Lionel Messi Stays"

There are rumors that Lionel Messi might leave Barcelona next summer, and his teammate Ivan Rakitić has stated he is not completely sure if the Argentine star will remain at the Camp Nou.

For me, I have already said that Messi is part of the shield. And not just now. It's been his trajectory. I can't say with 100% certainty that he will stay or not. That is his decision. We have to respect him. I also want to play with Leo, tomorrow and for five more years. As a teammate I can only say that we enjoy him and he has our support. There is a lot more for us to go through together.

Barcelona’s president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, insists that Messi is legally playing under a new contract, though the player has yet to physically sign. The Croatian midfielder expressed confidence Messi would stay, however:

They have told me everything is going well. I have confidence in our president and inLeo and I knowthat he wants to stay with us. We wait for his moment. It will surely come. Leo is unique. Let's not overthink it. What we need to do is give him all our affection and support that he needs. Are we worried if Messi leaves? I have confidence that Leo will stay at Barça until the end."