Lionel Messi has opened up about his situation at Barcelona for the first time since expressing his desire to leave in the summer. The Argentine made his intentions of wanting an exit known to Catalan giants by sending a burofax but his request was denied any chances of a move away was blocked by the club officials which saw the 33-year-old agree to stay put for at least another year.  Lionel Messi’s Instagram Post After Win Over Real Sociedad Suggests Things Are Taking a Turn for the Better at Barcelona.

Lionel Messi was adamant about leaving the club during the summer as he wanted to trigger a release clause in his contract, which allowed him to walk away for free, but the path was blocked by the club and La Liga hierarchy denying the presence of any such stipulation. Manchester City, PSG were tipped as the next destination for the 33-year-old. Argentina Star Likely to Leave Barcelona at the End of Current Season; PSG, Manchester City Remain on Alert.

The Barcelona skipper, after a long transfer saga, decided to extend his stay in Catalonia for at least another year while slamming the board for the lack of sporting project and planning at the club for the past few years. However, the 33-year-old has now opened up about his future at the Blaugranas, stating that he is excited for ‘what lies ahead’.

‘The truth is that today I'm fine. It's true that I had a very bad time in the summer,’ Messi told La Sexta. ‘It came from before. What happened before the summer, because of how the season ended, the burofax and all that ... Then I dragged it on a bit at the beginning of the season’ he added.

‘But today I'm fine and I feel like fighting seriously for everything that lies ahead, [I'm] excited. I know that the club is going through a difficult time, at club level and everything that surrounds Barcelona, but I'm looking forward to it,’ he said further.

Lionel Messi’s current contract with Barcelona ends at the conclusion of the current season and the Argentine will be free to negotiate with other clubs from January onwards. There are no advancement in the 33-year-old agreeing on a new deal which could change deepening on the arrival of the new president early next year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 21, 2020 07:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).