Tottenham new boy Cristian Romero claims Lionel Messi wanted to put a deal in place that would have taken him to Barcelona before the summer transfer window shifted significantly.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner was expected to sign a new contract at Camp Nou, allowing him to remain in La Liga alongside a number of fresh faces such as Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia.
Messi however walked away as a free agent and signed with Paris Saint-Germain, while Romero - who tasted Copa America glory alongside his illustrious team-mate - is now in north London following a €50 million (£42m/$59m) move from Atalanta.
What has been said?
Romero claims he could have headed in a different direction if Messi had got his way, telling Radio AM 550: "The fact that Messi would want me in his team, and that he wanted me to come to Barcelona is amazing.
"The team that PSG have built is crazy. I'm a bit sad about how Leo left Barcelona, I thought he would have stayed there forever. I wish him all the best, he's a great person and hopefully he can win everything alongside the other Argentinians there."
Romero's experience with Messi
Romero has made impressive progress over recent years having been forced to leave Juventus in search of regular game time.
He made a senior international debut for Argentina in June and is now a continental champion, with Messi and co welcoming him into a star-studded fold.
The 23-year-old added: "I'm thankful to Messi and for everything that I shared with him and the rest of the national team. From the first day the group made me feel like I'd been there for years. That's just the kind of group it is there."
Further reading
- Messi's like Michael Jordan! - Caballero
- 'I couldn’t even say hello to him' - Depay missed Messi
- Jordi Alba responds to Messi blame claims