Barcelona's sporting director Ramon Planes says the club are "putting every effort" to try and convince Lionel Messi to stay at the club.
Messi reportedly dropped his bombshell via fax, telling the club he wanted to leave Camp Nou this summer - and leave on a free transfer as part of a clause in his contract.
Barca, though, are looking at having “the greatest player in the world” still in their ranks next season.
Speaking at the official unveiling of 31million euros signing Francisco Trincao on Wednesday, Planes said: “This is evidently the important news.
“As we’ve said many times, as Koeman and the president have said and my position as technical secretary, we count on Messi for the future, just as we count on Trincao as a talent of the future, and we have heard that he will play alongside the greatest player in the history, the greatest player in the world.
“These things happen and we hope we will come back stronger from the defeat at the end of last season.
“What’s happened has happened and our idea is to build a team around the most important player in the world.
“We are not contemplating any kind of departure because what we want is for Messi to stay.
“We only have enormous respect for Leo Messi. Barca and Leo are like a marriage, where both have given so much to each other and have brought so much joy to the fans.
“We are putting every effort into ensuring that the relationship between Barca and Messi will continue. We are working internally to convince Leo.”
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