Barcelona's Matheus Fernandes left speechless by chance to play with Lionel Messi

Matheus Fernandes is confident he will "mark an era" at Barcelona and is relishing the prospect of teaming up with Lionel Messi.

Published : Apr 23, 2020 21:54 IST

Matheus Fernandes in action for Palmeiras
Matheus Fernandes in action for Palmeiras
lightbox-info

Matheus Fernandes in action for Palmeiras

Having the chance to play with Lionel Messi at Barcelona leaves Matheus Fernandes at a loss for words, but he is confident of making history with the club.

Barca agreed a deal to sign Fernandes from Palmeiras for an initial €7million in January, but with that transfer not going through until July he joined Real Valladolid on loan for the rest of the 2019-20 campaign.

However, the midfielder was unable to make his debut before the coronavirus pandemic brought the season grinding to a halt in March.

Despite being unsure what his short-term future holds, Fernandes is confident he will enjoy a successful career at Camp Nou.

 

Asked about the prospect of playing alongside Messi, Fernandes told Mundo Deportivo: "I can't explain it. To think that soon I will be playing with the best player in the world, I don't even know what to say.

"It is a dream to get to that great club and have the opportunity to be part of it.

"My goal is to play for Barcelona. My contract [with Valladolid] ends in June and I want to be in Barcelona, it is every child's dream.

"If I can't go to Barcelona now, I will continue learning at Valladolid or at another club where they value me. I am happy to be here and playing in La Liga.

"I think I'm going to succeed at Barca. I have the potential for it. I think I fit in with the style of play.

"I hope I can be there and stay there forever and make history at Barcelona."

He added: "I am very happy because the club showed interest in me. I have great qualities, but I am going to evolve much more there.

"I hope to be there for a long time and I hope to win many titles and bring much happiness to the club and the fans. If the club is happy, I will be."

Fernandes highlighted Sergio Busquets and Xavi as players he admires and hopes to prove as important to Barca as they have been.

 

"I am a box-to-box midfielder, but I also like to play in a holding role protecting the defence. I am a technical player," he said.

"I know I still have a lot to learn, I am aware of it and I am trying to improve here at Valladolid, but I think I am going to mark an era at Barcelona.

"I need to finish better, play quicker. I think I am a good marker, I have good positioning, a good pass and the most important thing is will and I have the will to improve and do my best for Barcelona.

"I like Sergio Busquets' way of playing a lot and I always noticed him, Xavi too. I'm going to try to do my best to be able to get closer to the level of these great players, knowing that I still have a lot to learn."

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment