- Joan Laporta has warned that
Lionel Messi will leave Barcelona unless he wins the upcoming presidential election. - Laporta, who was the club's president between 2004 and 2010, will seek re-election on March 7.
- "If I don't win, I am sure that Leo will not stay at Barcelona," he said.
Joan Laporta has made a last ditch effort to boost his chances of winning the club's upcoming presidential election by warning that Lionel Messi will leave FC Barcelona this summer unless he wins.
Laporta is seeking re-election having already enjoyed a successful period at the club's helm between 2004 and 2010, during which time Messi made his debut.
He will face off against Toni Freixa and Victor Font on March 7, when Barcelona members will choose a successor for Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Bartomeu stepped down from the position in October following a tumultuous six years in charge which included "Barcagate" - in which he and other club officials were accused of launching a smear campaign against current and former players.
Earlier this week he was arrested as part of a Catalan police investigation, reportedly concerning "Barcagate."
He also had a public spat with Messi, who almost left the club in the summer as a result.
Keeping the Argentine, whose contract expires at the end of the season, at the Camp Nou is now the number one priority for Bartomeu's replacement - a task Laporta says only he can complete."I have a great relationship with Leo and he will consider whatever proposal I make," said Laporta during a debate on Tuesday. "If I don't win, I am sure that Leo will not stay at Barcelona. Messi will weigh up the offer we make him.
"I'm convinced that if the other candidates win, Messi will not remain at Barcelona. He wasn't happy during Freixa's time on the board.
"He's not guided just by money. He wants a competitive team to win. I'm sure he'll listen to my offer, just as I am [sure] that if someone else wins he will leave."
Messi handed in a transfer request at Barcelona in August, shortly after the club's humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinal.
Manchester City, who is managed by former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, and French giant Paris Saint Germain are the favorites for Messi's signature.
However, in December, the 33-year-old forward also teased that he could be open to a shock move to the MLS.
"I would like to play in the United States someday, it's always been one of my dreams," Messi told journalist Jordi Évole. "But I don't know if it will happen!"