Blaugrana boss Ronald Koeman delighted to have Barca's Lionel Messi back on board.

After initially telling Barca he wanted to ply his trade elsewhere amid frustration with the Camp Nou board, Messi performed a U-turn and decided to stay with the Catalan giants to avoid a legal battle with the club.

Six-time winner Lionel Messi

Blaugrana boss Ronald Koeman is delighted to have Barca star Lionel Messi back on board.

Barcelona new coach Ronald Koeman has expressed his utmost delight at having Lionel Messi back in his squad.

The Argentine was looking to exercise a clause in his contract and depart for free, but Barca and LaLiga disputed his right to do so.

However, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner confirmed last Friday he will be staying at Camp Nou to avoid a legal battle with the Spanish club.

Messi's contract expires next year, but as things stand he will be seeking pastures new next summer.

"It's great because everybody knows [Messi] is the best player in the world and to have that in your team is exceptional," Koeman, who replaced Quique Setien last month, told Barca's club media.

On Messi returning to training on Monday, Koeman said: "Okay, for us it's now important to have Leo in the best conditions to play, because there is no question about his quality.

"It's fantastic that he will be part of the season for Barcelona because everybody is really happy about that."

The Blaugrana resume their LaLiga campaign against Villarreal on September 26.

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