Javier Mascherano

The speculations surrounding the future of Barcelona captain Lionel Messi keep growing like a huge cloud over his head and it continues to keep the club's fans worried and in the dark. The captain's long-term stay at the Camp Nou is still under huge question and it is believed that he will no longer spend more years at the club.

However, there is still a large section of fans who believe that he may well still be at the club for more years to come despite the continued rumors and speculations.
The fact that the Argentina international superstar attempted to leave the club at the end of last season is enough reason to be scared of losing the legendary attacker as a Barcelona fan, but there could be a glimmer of hope to hold on to, with a couple of people now coming out to reiterate that Messi could still remain at the club.

Former Barcelona player Javier Mascherano has insisted that his ex-teammate Lionel Messi is still in outstanding form this season despite the saga that clouded his future in the summer. The former Argentina international midfielder said Messi has not allowed the saga to affect him and has put in great performances on the pitch as if it never happened.

Former Barcelona star Dani Alves believes Lionel Messi should stay put with the Catalan giants beyond the current campaign. The Argentine has been with the Blaugrana throughout his career, but he had looked for a way out during the summer. However, the hierarchy declined to release him for the final year of his contract and that meant that Messi had to remain with the club.
Messi has yet to show any intention of signing a fresh deal and reports have claimed that he may head for the exit door when his contract expires in June next year. Speaking to RAC1, Alves said that the six-time Ballon d’Or is as huge as the club’s badge and is hopeful that the 33-year-old stays put at the Camp Nou.

He told: "Messi is as great as the badge of Barcelona. But as he could see that everything around him was a disaster, it's understandable that he wanted to leave. I told him not to leave Barca. When the club was trying to get rid of me I told him so and he said to me 'Don't go, where could you go that is better than here?'. I told him the same thing (this summer). He didn't reply but I know that he got the message."

Javier Mascherano has spoken about the current situation at former club Barcelona for the first time as the Catalans continue to struggle to for form consistently under new manager Ronald Koeman in addition to the fact that the club is without a president after the Josep Maria Bartomeu-led board resigned some months ago.

A new president is expected to emerge at Barcelona later this month after the elections. Javier Mascherano talked extensively and expressively about the ongoing situation at Barcelona in a chat with Catalan media outlet Sport. Barcelona faithfuls still have to contend with the uncertainty over the future of best player Lionel Messi in addition to the ongoing situation at the club. Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi is free to speak with foreign clubs over a move on a free transfer this summer. Manchester City, Inter Milan and PSG have all been linked with a free transfer move for the petite Barcelona superstar.

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi acknowledged the impact of Javier Mascherano on both the Argentine national team and Barcelona via his message to him upon the announcement of his retirement from football last month. Messi was one of several high-profile players who sent a congratulatory message to Javier Mascherano on his retirement.
The Barcelona skipper sent a joint message to Javier Mascherano and Fernando Gago who also announced his retirement in November. Messi shared the Argentine national team dressing room with both Fernando Gago and Javier Mascherano. According to him, they shared some happy moments and some difficult ones together.

Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano played for both Barcelona and Argentina together for many years between 2010 and 2018. Javier Mascherano left Liverpool to sign for Barcelona in a €24m deal in 2010 as he teamed up with his compatriot Messi at the Nou Camp. He left Barcelona two years ago in the same summer that he announced his retirement from international football.
Javier Mascherano holds the record for the most appearance in the history of the Argentina national team after playing 147 times for the two-time world champions between 2003 and 2018. His record is under threat from Lionel Messi who has made 142 appearances for Argentina and he's showing no signs of weariness to suggest that the petite player would soon retire from international finally.

The Brazilian has already become indisputable for the Liverpool squad following his slow start to Anfield's campaign. He is now being compared to Javier Mascherano, a former Liverpool prodigy. It's difficult to be an unsung hero in this current Liverpool team, considering how the team has performed over the past two seasons; however, the Fabinho's rise to prominence and form has been outstanding.

Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool defender, described the recent Brazilian performances as excellent. For Van Dijk, Fabinho is like an Inspector Gadget. While Pep Lijnders, Liverpool's assistant manager, calls him the 'Lighthouse'. Lijnders said that Fabinho's vision, timing, and calmness gives a different dimension to the team's midfield play.

Inter Milan CEO Giuseppe Marotta has acknowledged that it would be extraordinary to see Lionel Messi at the club but that would only happen in fantasy football. The Argentine has spent his entire career with Barcelona where he has won every trophy within reach while being named the Ballon d’Or on six occasions.

Italian journalist Luca Marchetti has said that Barcelona have not ended their interest in signing Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan. The Spanish champions have been heavily tipped to sign the Argentina international since the beginning of the year but they have not made any progress in the negotiations with the Nerazzurri.

The Japanese J-League has been one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, as it has had to go through a four month suspension. Now, authorities are planning to make a restart by the end of June or in the first week of July. The potential dates have been decided as June 27 at the earliest or July 4 if it is not possible.

Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso has expressed his satisfaction over the team’s performance during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 clash against Barcelona. The Serie A outfit took the lead through Dries Mertens in the 30th minute but the advantage was nullified at the hour mark with Antoine Griezmann scoring for the Blaugrana.