Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says that the Spanish league leaders have never thought about selling star forward Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi, 27, has been linked with a big-money move to the French champions in the past but the Argentina captain signed an improved contract with Barca back in May to quash rumours of a move away from the Camp Nou.
Speaking ahead of Barcelona's Champions League Group F showdown with PSG on Tuesday, Bartomeu told L'Equipe that the prospect of selling Barcelona's prize asset had never been on the agenda.
"It's not true," he insisted. "Never have we had this type of discussion about Messi. In April or May I said that we would make radical changes, but with Messi as the leader.
"He's under contract for the next four years and it won't be the last [contract] with Barca. He's still young and ambitious. For us, he's the best player in the history of football."
Bartomeu, 51, who was elected as Barcelona president in January, denied any knowledge that PSG may have courted Messi before UEFA's financial fair play rules blunted the French club's ambition.
"I have no information that Messi might have spoken to PSG," he said. "We're opponents on the pitch but also off it, with regard to sponsors and players."
Meanwhile, Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has again spoken about how happy he is to see Messi working hard for the team without the ball.
Messi has five goals and seven assists in his first seven games in all competitions this season, but his coach has often appeared keener to speak about how the four time Ballon d'Or winner has been working hard off the ball too -- leading by example by pressuring opponents and helping out his teammates in defence.
The former Blaugrana midfielder (who was nicknamed 'Lucho' or 'fighter' during his own playing career) told his news conference ahead of Tuesday's Champions League game at PSG that these perhaps less noticeable aspects of Messi's play were also vitally important.
"I still think [Messi] is an amazing player, a decisive player," Luis Enrique said.
"He is scoring and giving assists and also doing things he is perhaps not recognised for so much, like pressing and defending. He is the number one in the world in many different aspects of the game."
A win at the Parc des Princes would put Barca in control of the group just two games in, and Luis Enrique said that was his aim for the encounter.
"I prioritise winning, but you have to wait and see what happens," he said. "To win here we will need to play well, to be focused in many aspects."
The absence of ex-Barcelona forward and PSG talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic would not change how Barca approach the game, Luis Enrique said.
"My approach will be no different if [Ibrahamovic] does not play," he said.
"Any team would miss a player like him, but PSG are still a fearsome and dangerous team. They have resources. They are a candidate to win the Champions League."
Barca have won six and drawn one of their seven games so far in 2014-15, and have yet to concede a goal, even as the new coach continues to rotate his starting line-up.
This has brought plenty of praise from around the Camp Nou, however Luis Enrique said he knew there would likely be some rockier times to come as the season progressed.
"They are very good players and any of them can play," he said.
"It is the luck I have with this team. I know it will be a disaster [when we eventually lose] and the rotations will not have been worth it. I know what it means to be here, and I will keep doing what I consider right.
"Everything is to do with achieving our objectives. Not to win La Liga now, but to improve and to keep going with options to win."
Outside of the Camp Nou, many of Barcelona's fans are engaged in a bid to stage an independence referendum in Catalonia.
Spain's constitutional court has suspended a Nov. 9 vote set by the regional government but Bartomeu said the club is in favour of referendum taking place.
"It's a complex time," he told L'Equipe. "We can't take a position and say that you should vote 'yes' or 'no' because, among our members, there are people of every political persuasion.
"But yes, we are of the opinion that there should be a referendum. People have the right to vote when they want to express themselves democratically, as is the case at the moment."
ESPN correspondent Dermot Corrigan contributed to this report.