Jose: Messi Should Stay At Barca

Jose Mourinho has dismissed talk of Lionel Messi joining Manchester United, claiming the Argentine should stay at Barcelona.

The Old Trafford side have previously been linked with a move for Messi, who is currently in the UK as Barcelona prepare for their Champions League clash with Celtic on Wednesday.

And Mourinho has poured water on the rumours he will make a move for Messi in the near future, and believes the 29-year-old should end his career with the current La Liga champions.

"Messi is every season the same story, every season he is going to leave and he never leaves," Mourinho said ahead of his side's Europa League clash with Feyenoord on Thursday evening.

Honestly, I hope he never leaves because I think he belongs to Barcelona, I think Barcelona belongs to him. I think the natural tendency and the beautiful thing would be for him to start and to finish his career at Barcelona.

"For Manchester United, no for sure, and I think he will stay in Barcelona. That's just a personal opinion."

It was a sentiment echoed by Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu a few weeks ago as he spoke to Sky Sports pundit Guillem Balague, who wants the forward to remain with the club into retirement.

"Everybody knows, and he knows, that our wish would be that he stops his career at Barcelona at any time he wants," Bartomeu said.

"He is the best player in the world, he is the No 1 by far of other players and of course there are all the opinions, but he is the best player in the history of football."

Credit: Skysports.com