Ter Stegen hopeful that Messi will stay

There has been a lot of speculations about the future of

since he declared his interest in leaving

in the summer. Despite his interest in leaving, he remained in

Barcelona

for another year but his future is uncertain.

is hopeful that the Argentinian will extend his contract and stay in

Barcelona

.

and

Pep Guardiola

are reported to be interested in signing Lionel Messi.

"It's always an advantage to have

Messi

on the team because he can score goals out of nowhere - that's what makes him so special," the 28-year-old stated in an interview with BarcaTV.

"I hope he continues here and can be happy. You have to give him the opportunity to be above things because he's an extremely important part of our game."

Ter Stegen

also backed

after several mistakes that his teammate made. Pique is currently under the pressure of performing better.

"He has a special personality and is very funny," the goalkeeper said of

Pique

. "He understands my humor, which not many people do. We often talk to each other and always try to be the best for each other to give to others."