Sergio Ramos believes Barcelona star Lionel Messi has earned the respect to decide his future

Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos has defended Barcelona rival Lionel Messi by claiming he has ‘earned the respect’ to decide his next career move.

Messi stunned Barcelona recently after informing the club, via fax, that he wanted to leave this summer after growing increasingly disillusioned both on and off the pitch at the Nou Camp.

There is plenty of chaos surrounding Messi’s potential departure – with Barcelona insisting they won’t sell him for below his staggering £630million release clause while Messi’s camp are adamant he can leave on a free transfer.

However Ramos, who has enjoyed many spectacular battles in El Clasico against the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, has admitted Messi should be able to go out on his own terms but has questioned the way he has gone about things.

‘I think [Messi] has earned the respect to decide his future,’ Ramos said in a news conference ahead of Spain’s UEFA Nations League game against Germany on Thursday.

‘I don’t know if he’s doing it in the best way.

‘But of course, for Spanish football, for Barcelona and for us, we always like to win being the best. We would like him to stay here.’

Ramos then added: ‘Leo makes the Spanish league better, he makes his team better and he makes the Clasico more attractive. We like to win with the best there and he’s one of the best in the world.

‘There isn’t much to add, he’s won the respect to decide his future, him alone, without any speculation at all. Let’s see what happens.’

Messi’s father, Jorge, arrived in Barcelona on Wednesday for showdown talks with beleaguered club president Josep Bartomeu after coming under immense scrutiny for letting the situation deteriorate to such an extent.

Jorge wanted to clarify his son’s situation and negotiate his exit – and held the first face-to-face talks with Bartomeu in Barcelona since Messi’s transfer bombshell.

The meeting lasted for one and a half hours but both the club and Messi are no closer to reaching a resolution.

The meeting between Bartomeu and Jorge ended without an agreement with the former desperate to not let him go without a huge transfer fee while the latter remains adamant that his son is a free agent. 

Manchester City remain the most likely destination for Messi if he was to depart the Nou Camp.

Messi is said to be keen to move to the Etihad so as to reunite with Pep Guardiola, who managed him so successfully at Barcelona.