Barca are in a state of turmoil off the pitch after a tough season which has ramped up the pressure on current manager Quique Setien, who only took over at the club in January.

Despite leading Leeds to promotion back to the Premier League, Bielsa’s current contract is set to expire this week and is yet to agree a new one with the Yorkshire club.

And Messi wants the Catalan giants to go all out to convince the fellow Argentinian to leave England and take over at Barca, according to the Sun.

Messi was furious with his team after they surrendered the title with a defeat against Osasuna, labelling them ‘weak and erratic’.

The report indicates Messi believes Bielsa is the man Barca desperately need to sort out the issues they have suffered from on and off the pitch this season.

The 64-year-old has worked wonders at Leeds since taking over in 2018, implementing a dominant, expansive style of play well suited to Barca’s philosophy.

Leeds missed out on promotion via the play-offs in his first season but were able to secure the move back to the promise land as champions this term.

In a difficult season for Barca, they have seen the LaLiga title wrestled off them by bitter rivals Real Madrid while mounting financial issues means they may have to sell key players.

There is also an increasingly strained relationship with Messi and club president Josep Bartomeu with the controversial chief publicly criticising and blaming players for various problems throughout the season.

There is the added distraction of the race to become the new president, with a return for Joan Laporta a possibility.

Club legend Xavi has also been linked with a move to replace Setien as boss, though he is believed to be unconvinced by the amount of issues going on at the club.