Ronaldo Deems Messi Leaving FC Barcelona 'Very Unlikely'

As speculation about Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi's possible transfer from FC Barcelona continues to circulate, Brazilian football legend and former Barca player Ronaldo has expressed his doubts about the prospects of such move, according to goal.com.

Speaking at a press conference at Santander Media House in Lisbon, Ronaldo deemed the odds of Messi leaving Barcelona as "very unlikely", especially amid the current "financial crisis in Europe".

"Messi is the reference of the team and if I was Barcelona I would not let him leave in any case", he added. "Messi has a very intense relationship with Barcelona, I do not think he will stop being in love with the team. He's upset, of course, with how they were defeated in the Champions League".

Ronaldo also remarked that Messi will require the help of his teammates, and that Barca "will have to think of something different for the next seasons".

"Letting your main player leave is not the solution", he surmised.

Rumors about Messi's possible transfer emerged in the wake of Barcelona's crushing defeat 2-8 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League

Previous media reports, however, suggested that FC Barcelona may make Messi's potential transfer rather problematic, thanks to his €700 million release clause.