Messi reiterates desire to end career at Barcelona

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has reiterated his desire to see out his career with Barcelona.

The 29-year-old, who moved to Spain aged 13 to join Barca, has won eight league titles and four Champions League crowns with the Catalan club, and has no plans to go anywhere else.

“It’s what I always dreamed and what I always wanted. I would like to finish my career at Barcelona,” Messi said in an interview with ESPN, shown on Barcelona’s website.

Messi’s contract expires next summer, although reports in Spain suggest he is close to agreeing a three-year extension. Barca finished second in LaLiga in the 2016/17 campaign, surrendering their crown to arch rivals Real Madrid, and were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Juventus.

Messi, currently away on international duty with Argentina, added: “We would have liked to have achieved more. We play to win titles. We want to be in the Champions League final and to win LaLiga. This year it wasn’t to be.

“We tried, but it didn’t happen. We ended up with the Copa del Rey and we hope next season will be better for us as far as titles go.”

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