Laporta wants Messi to stay in Barcelona

According to

presidential candidate,

Joan Laporta

,

is wishing for a competitive team to push him to stay. The Argentina international, who expressed his wish to leave during the summer, is currently being linked to

and

, but some hope that Messi will continue his career with the Catalonians.

Though

Carlos Tusquets

previously had stated that selling Messi would have been a proper financial move, Laporta wants the player to remain at the club.

"Leo wants Barcelona,"

he said.

"What I want is to give him back his happiness. It's not just a question of money, you have to create a competitive team.”

"Leo has been cheated and that is a big loss. He's a winner and can't stand to see other teams lift the Champions League.”

"The last time I spoke to him was in October. I am very grateful to him for all he has done for Barcelona. I have known him since he was 16 years old and he is an extraordinary person.”

"There is mutual appreciation and respect. We must be inside [the club] to make an imaginative and credible proposal to him."

"Leo wants to have a squad that brings back the joy,"

Laporte added.

"A team like Barcelona needs team spirit in a dressing room. I've been president of Barcelona and I don't want to destabilise a team in a delicate situation."

Follow

for the