Football
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Barcelona may have considered Lionel Messi sale - election hopeful

Potential Barcelona presidential candidate Agusti Benedito has said he believes the club's current board has contemplated selling Lionel Messi in the past.

Current president Josep Maria Bartomeu has stressed that Messi is happy at the Camp Nou, but speculation erupted when the player said he was not sure where he would be next season.

Those comments came around the time of a training ground row with coach Luis Enrique in early January, while Messi's relationship with others in the Camp Nou hierarchy has at times appeared strained.

In December 2013, when vice-president Javier Faus dismissed claims that Messi deserved a new contract, the Argentina captain said Faus "knows nothing about football."

Benedito, who came second to Sandro Rosell in the 2010 presidential election, told Goal.com: "I do not think that was merely clumsiness [by Faus].

"No, that was an indication of his real thinking. Perhaps they had other ideas, despite what they have said publicly, and it is a worrying issue because at times it has seemed like they are really not concerned with keeping Messi happy.

"Some of their decisions, their quotes and their actions make me believe they were contemplating other possibilities."

#INSERT type:image caption:Benedito said he thought Messi would wait for the election outcome before considering his future. END#

Benedito said the Barca board "have shown in the recent past that their public quotes don't always correspond with their ideas."

He added. "I hope, in Messi's case, that their words and their actions correspond."

Not many clubs could afford to pay Messi's 200 million-euro buyout clause or meet his salary demands, but those that perhaps could include Paris Saint Germain and Manchester City -- who host Barcelona in Tuesday's Champions League round of 16 first leg.

Real Madrid, Chelsea and Bayern Munich have also been mentioned in speculation, but Benedito said Messi was likely wait and see who won the election before deciding on his future.

"Messi has had really big offers from teams in different countries," he added. "It is reasonable to think that he is waiting to see who the next president and the new board will be.

"I do not think anybody would dare sell Messi now. Elections are just around the corner, but in any case I would tell this board to avoid making any big decisions in the few weeks they have left and above all not to do anything crazy.

"Messi is the best player in the world, and surely the best player in history. He is a fundamental part of Barcelona over the next few years."

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