Diego Forlan expects Lionel Messi to stay at Barcelona
Ex-striker believes Argentinian will remain at Barca if club make good additions
Two-time European Golden Boot winner Diego Forlan believes Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi will likely stay at the club, should they bring in capable signings to ease his load.
The 41-year-old Uruguayan feels the prospect of that has improved with Joan Laporta being elected for his second stint as club president this month.
Messi's future has been the subject of much speculation ever since the 33-year-old made the shock announcement last August that he wanted to leave the club he joined as a 13-year-old. His contract expires at the end of the season.
Speaking to regional media via a conference call arranged by La Liga yesterday, Forlan said of Messi: "I think (with) Barcelona now changing the president, they are going to build a stronger team for him.
"So maybe he will stay in Barcelona, I think it is the best place for him, they are one of the best clubs in the world. It's his city, his club.
"His family is there, everybody is adapted. It is not easy to go to another city...
"If they have a strong team, they bring (in) good players, I think he will stay."
Forlan, who won the Golden Ball for the best player at the 2010 World Cup, however, was less sure about Barca coach Ronald Koeman's future.
The Blaugrana are second in La Liga, four points behind leaders Atletico with 11 games left, and have a Copa del Rey final date with Athletic Bilbao.
Said the former Manchester United and Atletico Madrid striker: "If you don't win anything at the end of the season, it is not going to be easy. To keep the job, he is going to (have to) be a magician...
"I don't know what is Laporta's decision, this coach came from another president."
Should Barca fail to overhaul Atletico, Forlan believes it would only serve to highlight the Catalan club's "mistake" in letting Luis Suarez leave for the Madrid side.
He compared it to when Barca allowed fellow striker David Villa to join Atleti. During the Spaniard's first season in 2013/14, Los Colchoneros won La Liga and reached the Champions League final.
When asked if Suarez would make the difference should his new side win Spain's top flight for the first time in seven seasons, Forlan said: "Of course, he has more (league) goals than last season Diego Costa and (Alvaro) Morata all together (17).
"Imagine only one player scoring 18 goals... Also those goals were important for them to win games. So yeah, he is a very key player for the team."
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