New Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has made clear that he wants Lionel Messi to stay at the Camp Nou.
The Argentine has been linked with a move away, with Inter, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain all mooted as potential destinations.
“I still have a lot of contact with Pep Guardiola and he says it’s great to work with Messi,” Koeman told NOS.
“He’s a winner and if he doesn’t win he gets upset.
“I have to make sure it works, that he feels important.
“He has to finish his career here, because he is Barcelona and Barcelona is Messi.”
In addition to trying to convince Messi to stay at Barcelona, Koeman believes that one of his goals is to get the most out of the players in the squad by putting the right players in the right position.
For example, as he said in his presentation, Frenkie de Jong will play as a central midfielder, not an advanced player.
“That’s my idea. If you invest in a young player and pay a lot of money for him, you should also let him play in a position where he performs well,” Koeman said.
“This also applies to Antoine Griezmann.
“He’s not a real winger, he has to play in a position he’s used to and where his qualities work.”
