"Will continue to be important for Barca" - Barcelona's Xavi claims star player's future will not depend on Lionel Messi's return to the La Liga club

Xavi Hernandez has stated that Sergio Busquets' future at Barcelona will not depend on Lionel Messi's potential return to the Blaugrana this summer.

The Spanish midfielder could leave as a free agent at the end of the season. However, recent reports have claimed that the 34-year-old is inclined to continue with the Catalan giants beyond the summer as he is hopeful of Messi's return.

The Argentina icon's contract at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) expires at the end of the campaign and he has apparently rebuffed extension offers in favor of a move to Barcelona. It has also been claimed that he has asked Barca to retain Jordi Alba and Busquets for next season.

Xavi, however, has claimed that Busquets' future at Spotify Camp Nou isn't tied to Lionel Messi's potential transfer from PSG. The Spaniard recently said, via Mundo Deportivo (h/t PSGTalk):

"The most important thing is that Busquets is calm and helps us until the end of the season. I don’t think his decision will depend on whether Messi comes or not. It’s difficult to choose the path, it happened to me. He knows it’s important for him [and the] team and, if it continues, it will continue to be important for Barca."

Busquets is a bona fide legend at Barcelona, having made 715 appearances for the club since joining La Masia in 2005.

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Barcelona-linked Lionel Messi on target as PSG beat Lens 3-1

Lionel Messi isn't letting speculation about an emotional return to Barcelona get in the way of his performances in France.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner scored his 20th goal of the season in 35 games across competitions when Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) beat Lens 3-1 in Ligue 1 yesterday (April 15).

Messi scored in the 40th minute to give his team a 3-0 lead. Les Parisiens played against 10 men for the majority of the game after Salis Abdul Samed's 19th-minute red card. Przemyslaw Frankowski's penalty kick at the hour mark proved to be just a consolation for the visitors.

With the win, PSG ensured they had a nine-point lead over second-placed Lens after 31 games. Olympique de Marseille, who have a game in hand, could be just eight points off the Paris-based giants if they beat Troyes later today (April 16).

Lionel Messi was recently booed by PSG fans in his team's 1-0 league loss against Lyon on April 3. The Argentine playmaker has scored in both league games since then, including a goal and an assist in a 2-0 Ligue 1 win over OGC Nice on April 8.