Messi will be with Barcelona in 2021 - Fernandez

His current deal only runs through to the end of the 2017-18 season, and speculation remains over whether he will continue on with the Spanish giants.

Messi, 28, graduated through the youth ranks at Barcelona and has expressed his desire to spend the rest of his playing days with the Catalan club.

Lionel Messi will remain at Barcelona for at least the next five years, assured technical secretary Robert Fernandez. 

Messi, 28, graduated through the youth ranks at Barcelona and has expressed his desire to spend the rest of his playing days with the Catalan club.

However, his current deal only runs through to the end of the 2017-18 season, and speculation remains over whether he will continue on with the Spanish giants. 

But Fernandez assured Messi will at least be around until 2021 when the club are set to inaugurate the new Camp Nou.

"Messi will continue in 2021, that is for sure," he told  Estudio Estadio .

"We are talking about the best player in history with great sporting and personal qualities.

"Many are surprised to know how humble he is, and he has a capacity and intelligence that is above normal. He is in an extraordinary moment and we have him as a player for the next few years. 

"Some people said he may be in a decline but that is not true. He has a lot still to offer and he will be crucial for many years."