体坛英语新闻：Messi rejects all chance of Real Madrid move

MADRID, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Barcelona's Argentine international striker Leo Messi Thursday ruled out any chance of joining Spanish top flight bitter rivals Real Madrid.

    Messi is considered the best player in the world by many commentators and his capture would be a huge coup for Real Madrid.

    The fact that the club has elections for a new president this summer has provoked rumors that Florentino Perez, who will almost certainly stand as a candidate, will try to lure Messi to Madrid.

    Normally that would seem impossible, but Perez was able to do the same with former Barcelona winger Luis Figo eight years ago.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi controls the ball during their Spanish First Division soccer match against Almeria in Almeria March 15, 2009

    Messi, however, insisted in the online version of sports paper Marca, that he was perfectly happy at Barcelona.

    "I have said it many times: if it was down to me, I would spend all of my life with Barcelona," he said.

    Perez would no doubt offer Messi an increase over his current salary with the Catalan club, but even so the 21-year-old said he was not interested.

    "There are some things that you can't buy with money. Things such as happiness and being at Barcelona," he said.