How the Barcelona dressing room said goodbye to Lionel Messi

It may have taken the best part of 24 hours, but with Lionel Messi now on the cusp of signing for Paris Saint-Germain, a number of Barcelona's players have said emotional goodbyes to the Argentine on social media.

It took Sergio Busquets to break the wall of silence from within the Los Cules dressing room since Barcelona announced on their website that Messi's contract would not be ratified by LaLiga Santander, effectively brining to an end his time with the Catalan giants.

Sergio Busquets

Busquets and Messi have been teammates since the midfielder's introduction into the team in 2008 under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola, with the duo winning three Champions League titles together.

"Thank you for what you have done for the club and for those who have accompanied you in these years," Busquets posted.

"You arrived here as a child and you're leaving as the best player in history. You have made this club grow to the height it deserves and I can always say I played and shared many moments with you, I will miss you so much."

Ansu Fati

"All the players who come to La Masia dream of being able to play with you, I feel fortunate to have achieved that," Fati posted on Instagram.

"I wanted to thank you for these two years, for your gestures of affection towards me and for everything I learned, my family and I will always be eternally grateful."

Coutinho

"Thank you for everything, it was a great honour to have met you and played by your side, I'm very grateful for the way you treated me and my family during that time," Coutinho detailed.

"I wish you much success in your future."

It wasn't just current teammates who paid tribute to Messi either, with both Xavi Hernandez and Gerard Deulofeu making their own feelings clear.

Xavi Hernandez

"As a Cule, teammate and friendly, I can only thank you for everything you have given us during these years, whatever you do I wish you the best."

Gerard Deulofeu

"What a pleasure it was to share moments at the best club in the world with the best player in history, I have so much admiration and respect for you, we can only thank you for all the magic you have given us and you will continue to give us every week on the pitch."