Former Barcelona star Javier Mascherano has claimed the future of Lionel Messi at the Camp Nou is one for him and his family to make in the coming months.
The two players were long-time teammates at the Blaugrana and at international level for Argentine, but the now retired Mascherano insisted he would not be offering his own advice on the situation.
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The future of Messi has been at the heart of Barcelona news for the past six months following last summer’s saga when he attempted to leave the club only to back down as he did not wish to take them to court.
However, the 33-year-old will be out of contract this summer and is already theoretically free to speak to other clubs regarding a move.
Mascherano said, speaking on Wednesday afternoon to reporters, as cited by Diario Sport: “I see him in a good moment, beyond the fact that Barcelona is not going through its best moment. His body language and his performances have not changed, they are the same as he has been producing for 15 seasons.
“Will he decide to stay at Barcelona? I would never dare to give Leo advice. It is a personal decision that he will have to decide within his family. As a friend I will support the decision I make.”
Mascherano made a grand total of 334 appearances for the Catalan giants between 2010 and 2018 while his distinguished career also saw him win 147 international caps for Argentina.
