Laporta says he will not take ‘no’ for an answer in his quest to convince the Argentina superstar to sign a new contract.
Messi’s current deal in Catalonia comes to end this summer and he will be free to join any club of his choice.
The future of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner has been uncertain since the beginning of the 2020/2021 season when he threatened to leave the club after the poor end to the 2019-2020 season and the board’s decision to sell Luis Suarez to Atletico Madrid.
Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are said to be the next destination if Messi decides to leave his boyhood club.
When asked how optimistic he was about Messi’s response, Laporta said: “I am not contemplating [getting] a no [as an answer]. I am optimistic. He wants to stay and we do what we can. It is not easy. He is still the best in the world and is coveted by other clubs that have greater financial potential.”
“We compete against state clubs that can undermine transfers that we are trying [to carry out]. It is not fair.
“We live in a difficult moment in which it is not enough to make an offer and reach an agreement. Now things have to fit together. And this requires patience. We act with skill and ability to convince him. There is no need to seduce him because he has decided to stay if certain circumstances arise.
“He is having a good time here. There is not a date for the agreement. I would like it to be the 24th [of June] which is my saint’s day and Leo’s birthday. Or else the 29th which is my birthday. It would be a good gift.”
