Suárez sheds light on Messi's Barça future | OneFootball

Denis Suárez insists Barcelona’s players aren’t concerned Lionel Messi will be leaving the club anytime soon.

Messi’s current deal at Camp Nou is due to expire in June 2018 and though the club have made it clear they’re relaxed about the situation, the Argentine superstar is rather worryingly yet to officially sign an extension.

On Friday, the 30-year-old was presented with the 2016/17 European Golden Shoe, but rumours the ceremony would coincide with an announcement about his future failed to materialise.

And while even his Barça team-mates don’t seem to be 100% sure he’ll be staying at the club, Suárez insists it’s not something that’s keeping them awake at night.

“I believe he [Messi] will be here for many more years to come,” the midfielder told Diario Sport.

“He is training with us every day and is playing for us, on Sunday he will line-up against Valencia and everybody here is calm because we know Barça are the club of his life.

“We hope he will continue to stay here of course and we can keep enjoying playing alongside him, but we are not worried.

“Neymar’s departure would always be significant as he is one of the world’s best players but we have shown incredible form since he has left.

“I don’t see how we can be boring, we are top of the league, won our Champions League group and scoring lots of goals, so I don’t understand how we could be losing the club’s identity.”

An exclusive Messi interview will be published in Spanish outlet Marca on Saturday but it is not expected to contain any clues about where his future lies.

Questions about his contract extension were banned from Friday’s awards ceremony, which was held at Barcelona’s Antigua Estrella Damm Fabrica, and Messi entered the venue via the back door in order to avoid the throng of reporters waiting by the red carpet.