President Javier Tebas has played down suggestions that La Liga will be unable to cope without Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.

With less than a year remaining on his contract, Messi will be in a position to negotiate a move away from Camp Nou at the beginning of 2021.

Although the arrival of a new president at Barcelona could lead to a change in dynamic behind the scenes, the long-serving Argentine is expected to take on a new challenge.

Despite acknowledging that he hopes Messi will remain at his current club, Tebas feels that La Liga will not necessarily miss the global superstar.

Speaking on Tuesday, Tebas said: "We would prefer Messi to stay in La Liga but [Cristiano] Ronaldo and Neymar left and we have not noticed any difference."

Manchester City are regarded as the favourites to win the race for Messi ahead of next season.