Gerard Pique reportedly told Laporta 'nothing bad would happen' if Barcelona let Lionel Messi leave

Record six-time Ballon d'Or award winner, Lionel Messi was reportedly betrayed by former Barcelona team-mate, Gerard Pique during the summer which culminated in the striker leaving the Catalan giants for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.

Barcelona created headlines when they revealed that they could not afford to offer Messi a new contract despite the player himself being desperate to remain at the Nou Camp and was even willing to take a huge pay cut to remain with his boyhood club.

However, it has now emerged that Pique who was a long-time team-mate of Messi had told club president, Joan Laporta that "nothing bad would happen" if they let the Argentina icon leave in the summer.

"Messi knows that Pique told Laporta that if Messi left [the club] nothing [bad] would happen," director of Spanish newspaper Sport Lluis Mascaro told Radioestadio Noche.

Mascaro's colleague Toni Juanmarti for his part added that Pique would want to give his version of the events stating: "I do not know where or when, but surely the [number] '3' (Pique) will want to give his version [of the story]."

The 34-year-old recently opened up on his Barcelona exit, revealing that he would love to return to the Nou Camp once he hangs up his boots and help the club as a technical director or in a role similar to that.