Dani Alves warns Messi he would regret leaving Barcelona just as he did

Dani Alves has urged Lionel Messi not to leave Barcelona, with the Brazilian insisting that he would come to regret leaving.

Messi is out of contract this summer and speculation regarding his future continues to gather pace as the season draws to a close.

However, Barca remain confident that the Argentine star will remain in Catalonia and Alves is convinced that would be best for all parties.

The 37-year-old spent eight years at the Nou Camp and doesn’t want Messi to experience the same regrets he had upon leaving for Juventus in 2016.

‘I have said to Messi several times: he was born to be a Barcelona player and Barcelona were born to be his club,’ Alves told the Guardian.

‘Once he told me to stay in Barcelona because there wasn’t any place that was better.

‘”Where will you be happier?” he asked me. So I stayed.

‘Now I have reminded him of that conversation and that a good friend (him) advised me that Barcelona is the best place ever.

‘I haven’t had an answer from him yet but when you leave Barcelona you realise how good it is.

‘All the players, and I mean everyone, who has left Barcelona have been sorry. All of them regret leaving.

‘When I left the club, I just wanted to show my value to get back. But, unfortunately, the same people who were against me when I was at the club stayed there.

‘I showed that I was able to play for Barcelona for another 10 years. I tried to go back. I played to go back to Barcelona, but they didn’t want me anymore.’

Alves’ stay at Juventus was brief, he joined Paris-Saint Germain in 2017 and spent two seasons in France, before return to returning to his native Brazil to play for Sao Paulo.

Messi infamously handed in a transfer request last summer, and attempted to exercise a clause in his contract that would’ve enabled him to leave Barcelona for free.

However, Barca insisted the clause had expired and that any club looking to sign Messi would have to pay £606million.

Manchester City are the favourites to sign Messi should he leave Catalonia, with the forward having enjoyed an incredibly successful period at the Nou Camp under current City boss Pep Guardiola between 2008-12.

He has also been linked with moves to Paris-Saint Germain and a return to his native Argentina.