Published 14:32 IST, September 9th 2020
Lionel Messi makes a promise to Ronald Koeman in first meeting since agreeing Barca stay
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi promised Ronald Koeman that he is committed to playing for the club and will work hard to get back to his best form.
Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman is reportedly delighted to have the opportunity to work with Lionel Messi for the upcoming season after the Argentine's failed transfer away from the Camp Nou. Although it is reported that the first meeting between Koeman and Messi led to a positive outcome, the Dutchman has warned that he only wants players who are committed to helping the club move forward. Messi arrived at Barcelona training for the first time on Monday after missing the first week of pre-season training and was seen working on his fitness alone for the majority of the session.
Lionel Messi transfer news: Lionel Messi makes a promise to new boss Ronald Koeman
According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Lionel Messi has made a promise to Ronald Koeman over his commitment to Barcelona for the 2020-21 season. It is claimed that Lionel Messi has informed Koeman that he will return to his best form for the start of a new era under the Dutchman. This was only after Ronald Koeman explained that he only wanted players to stay at Barcelona if they were committed to the club's betterment as a whole. Koeman was reportedly glad after meeting Messi and listening to his comments about giving his all for Barcelona despite the Argentine wanting a move away from the club.
Lionel Messi transfer news: Barcelona captain to stay at Camp Nou for at least another season
Over the weekend, Lionel Messi spoke to Goal and revealed that he will stay put at Barcelona after the club confirmed his €700 million (£630m) release clause is still active. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner went on to admit that he had, in fact, handed in a transfer request to leave Barcelona this summer but was unwilling to take the club he adores to court for legal proceedings. Messi arrived at Barcelona training on Monday for the first time since his transfer news broke and trained alone on Tuesday as well.
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Lionel Messi, Barcelona's all-time top goalscorer with 634 goals, scored 25 times and notched up 21 assists in LaLiga last season but the club still finished second on the table as arch-rivals Real Madrid won the domestic title. The Blaugrana also suffered an 8-2 humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final and the frustration eventually got to Messi. However, it appears that Messi will stay at Barcelona for at least one more season as his current deal expires in June 2021. Barcelona will begin their LaLiga campaign later this month on September 27 and are set to host Villarreal on Matchday 1.
Image Credits - Barcelona Twitter / Leo Messi Instagram
Updated 14:32 IST, September 9th 2020