Sergio Busquets is confident that Lionel Messi will stay at Barcelona, and admits that the Argentina forward is integral to the club's future hopes of success.
Messi, 27, finished runner-up for the FIFA Ballon d'Or prize to Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo on Monday night after a disappointing 2014 in which he missed out on the Spanish title and lost both the Copa del Rey and World Cup finals.
The Albiceleste captain said in Zurich on Monday that he is "not sure where he will be next year" amid reports linking him with a Premier League move, though later stated he is "tired of having to clarify everything" he says and hopes to finish his career at Barcelona.
Blaugrana teammate Busquets says too much is being read into Messi's comments, and believes that La Liga's all-time top goalscorer will stay at the Camp Nou.
"Messi is a very down-to-earth person," Busquets told a news conference on Tuesday. "He may be an amazing player but, as he said the other day, he's a squad member like any other.
"He controls his future and he has said he has no intention of leaving and that's very important for us. All he was saying yesterday was the typical cliche that you never know what might happen in the future."
Speculation over Messi's future has intensified given recent off-field events: the club sacked sporting director Andoni Zubazarreta with his assistant and former club captain Carles Puyol apparently quitting in solidarity, while the future of coach Luis Enrique is in doubt with widespread local reports claiming he has fallen out with Messi.
However, Busquets was calm regarding the notion of the club being in crisis, adding: "People usually only know what they are told by the press but I think everyone has now had a chance to speak. We just want to be united, to be as one, and for the fans to be behind us."
Messi was in fine form as Barca kept their Liga title hopes on track with an impressive 3-1 victory over champions Atletico Madrid on Sunday, with Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez all scoring.
"They are three great players," Busquets added. "They score, they unsettle opponents and they create pressure. The other day they were the first to create pressure."
Meanwhile, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has reiterated that he fully expects Messi to stay at the Camp Nou.
He told beIN SPORTS: "Lionel Messi for us is the best player of the world. I'm sure he's the best player of the world for the whole history. It's going to be very difficult in the future to find a player like him."
Bartomeu also said Messi is "good outside the pitch," praising his work with children and his foundation, and said rumours the player wanted Luis Enrique out were "totally false."
Asked whether Messi and Luis Enrique would both be at the club next season, Bartomeu replied: "Of course... Lionel Messi has a contract until 2018, so it's a contract that last summer we [renewed]. He's happy. He's very happy: him; his family; the club; the fans with him. He's the best of the world.
"Luis Enrique has an objective which is difficult because this year new players came to the team, new players left, so his work here is to combine the players that we had with the new players and have a good team and win."