Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen urges Messi to remain with the Blaugrana, while also hoping his ‘special’ teammate can become happy at Camp Nou.
The Argentina international has spent the entirety of his career with the Catalan giants and has gone on to cement his legacy as one of the greatest players in history.
However, he sent shockwaves around the world when he submitted a transfer request stating his intention to leave the club amidst disenchantment with the way the club was being run.
Ultimately, he backtracked on his decision in order to avoid a protracted court battle but with less than a year left on his current contract, it is widely believed that Messi would leave Camp Nou at the expiration of his deal.
Ter Stegen urges Messi to stay at Barcelona
However, Ter Stegen – who himself recently signed a long-term deal with Barcelona – has urged his teammate to reconsider his decision.
In an interview with BarcaTV, the Germany international said:
”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,”
”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.”
Barcelona have endured a rocky start to their campaign that currently sees them sit 8th on the table, with just 11 points picked up from seen matches thus far.
Their Champions League campaign has, however, been much smoother, with four wins from four and Lionel Messi would be seeking to get back to his best form and help the club climb back to the summit in Spain.
