Lionel Messi is being backed to remain at Barcelona by Joan Laporta, but he admits that he feared losing the Argentine to Inter in 2006.
Speculation is once again surrounding the future of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, with no extension agreed as yet to a contract due to expire in 2018.
This is not the first time that Barca have found themselves in such a situation, though, with Messi having been the subject of record-breaking interest in the past. Inter were prepared to spend big on taking him to Italy a few years after his breakthrough at Camp Nou, but Laporta and Co. stood firm to ensure that no deal was done.
The former Barca president told The Guardian when asked if Messi ever came closing to leaving during his reign: “It was 2006 when Inter made an offer."
Inter Milan were prepared to pay the €150m buy-out clause, which is why Barca later raised it to €250m to stood firm on Messi.
Since seeing a move to Italy blocked, Messi has been heavily linked with a possible switch to England with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea boasting the financial firepower required to put a deal in place.
No transfer has ever been done, but Laporta is among those adamant that the mercurial South America would have caught the eye in the Premier League had he ever found himself on that stage.
Having worked hard to keep Messi on their books, Barca have been rewarded with a club-record 507 goals in just 583 appearances.
Those efforts have helped the club to eight La Liga titles, four Champions League successes and three Club World Cup wins.
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