Lionel Messi says he had Barcelona’s interests in mind while pushing to leave

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has said that he had the club’s best interests in his mind when he tried to force his way out.

The Argentine had intended to depart the Camp Nou for another club this summer after growing frustrated by the club’s lack of ambition.

Barcelona, however, refused to let the 33-year-old leave after holding on to a clause that said he could only leave if his hefty buyout clause was paid in full.

The Barcelona captain later rescinded his decision and decided to stay, insisting he didn’t want to drag the issue with the club in court.

Speaking to Diario Sport on Tuesday, the 33-year-old said he tried to leave Barca because he had the club’s interests at heart.

"After so many disagreements, I would like to bring an end to everything and put aside any differences," he stated.

"I take responsibility for my mistakes and, if there were any, they were only to make Barcelona better and stronger.

"If any fans were annoyed by something that I said or did, let there be no doubt that anything I did was always with the club's best interests in mind."

Messi seems to have slotted seamlessly back into the Barcelona squad and was on the scoresheet as the club beat Villarreal 3-0 in La Liga on Sunday.