'It never occurred to me to leave': Lionel Messi denies exit rumors amid internal strife at Barcelona

Lionel Messi says that he will stay with Catalan giants Barcelona for the foreseeable future after reports suggested the Argentinian ace may wrangle for a move following a bust-up with director of football Eric Abidal.

Barca haven't been their traditional free-flowing selves this season, as they currently sit a point behind Real Madrid in the battle for La Liga. But any problems they have experienced on the pitch have been mirrored off the field, after a reported bust-up between their star player and captain Messi and former French international Abidal. 

Per reports, Abidal had slammed the first-team squad for not working hard enough for former boss Ernesto Valverde following his departure from the club las month.

The recent installment of Quique Setién in place of Valverde is thought to have caused a further rupture in the Barcelona framework, which was exacerbated by recent reports that the club has retained the services of a social media firm to criticize influential figures within the club to help bolster the reputation of club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Bartomeu denies the reports, but in a truncated version of an interview Messi gave Mundo Deportivo, he said that he could "see weird things happening at the club."

"I don’t know what happened to make him say that but I responded because I felt attacked. I felt he was attacking the players," Messi said of his confrontation with Abidal in the full interview released on Thursday.

"Too much is said about the dressing room, that we force coaching changes or bring in players, and especially about me — like I have a lot of power and make the decisions. The same happened to me in the Argentine national team.

"It bothered me coming from someone from the club ... to put the players in the middle of the dismissal of the coach seemed crazy. (Abidal) is the one who makes the decisions and has to take charge."

The reports of an internal power struggle at the club inevitably led to reports that Messi would consider a Camp Nou exit, something which would have been previously unthinkable. But Messi says that he still sees his future at the club and wants to add further silverware to the club's already overfilled trophy cabinet.

"I have said many times that my idea is (to stay) and as long as the club continue to want that, there will never be a problem," Messi, who reportedly has a clause in his contract which would allow him to leave for free this summer, said.

"I want to win another Champions League, I want to continue winning La Liga and I always aspire to that.

"I have always had the choice, there were many interested clubs willing to pay the release clause, but it never occurred to me to leave and does not now either. I love Barcelona, this is my home."