FC Barcelona Transfer Rumors: Lionel Messi Looks ‘Bored’ at Barca

Manchester United icon Paul Scholes believes that Lionel Messi wants new challenge in his career, saying that the FC Barcelona superstar looks "bored" at Camp Nou.

Messi, who was mentioned in numerous soccer transfer rumors over the past several weeks, recently became the all-time scoring leader in Spanish La Liga and UEFA Champions League.

With his recent record-breaking performances, Scholes believe that Messi is not giving the same amount of effort like before, which seems to confirm that the star forward is contemplating a move to another team next season.

"As for Messi, his achievements put him in a different category to the rest of us who played the game. But even so, in him, as much as anyone, I detected that mood of boredom," Scholes said in his recent column. "He has never been a player given to chasing the full-back when his team loses the ball, but now, more than ever, he keeps his movement to an absolute minimum."

Messi, who has already netted 20 goals in 19 games for FC Barcelona this season, is in contract with the club until 2018, but the 27-year-old superstar recently hinted that he might move to another team as early as next summer.

The four-time Ballon d'Or winner said that he wants to finish his career at Barca, but he admitted that changes are inevitable and there are certain factors that are out of his control.

"I have said it many times, If it were for me, I would stay forever," Messi told ESPN FC. "But as I said before, everything does not always come out as you want -- even more in football, which changes so much and in which so many things can happen. It is complicated, even more given what is happening today at Barcelona."

Recent reports also indicated that several teams expressed willingness to strike an expensive transfer deal to acquire Messi, including Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, who is a close friend of Messi, recently said that he will try to convince his fellow Argentine to move to the Barclays Premier League next season.

Spanish La Liga rival Real Madrid was also mentioned as a potential landing spot, but analysts doubt if FC Barcelona are willing to sit down with Los Blancos officials.