Andres Iniesta says it is his "sole desire" to see Lionel Messi remain at Barcelona for "a long time."
Speculation about Messi departing Barca has intensified in recent months, with the Argentina captain having reportedly been unhappy at the club and involved in a row with coach Luis Enrique.
Rumours continued to spread when Messi said in January that he is unsure about his future, with the forward then being linked with big-money moves to the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
Any issues now appear to be in the past, however, with Messi having played a leading role in Barca's run of 11 consecutive wins in all competitions, and Iniesta insists the club have to do all they can to keep hold of his teammate if they want to be successful over the coming years.
"I hope and wish that Leo can be with Barca for a long time, because he has been, is and will be fundamental to our competing for honours. That's my sole desire," Iniesta told FIFA's official website.
Off the pitch, Barca have endured something of a turbulent start to 2015, with president Josep Maria Bartomeu having this month been charged for allegedly defrauding the Spanish taxpayer of 2.8 million euros during the deal that saw Neymar move to the Camp Nou, while director of football Andoni Zubizarreta was dismissed from his role in January, with assistant Carles Puyol then quitting hours later.
Barca also failed in their bid to have a transfer ban lifted at the end of December, but Iniesta says the best response the players can provide to such setbacks is by performing well on the pitch.
"Look, there's no denying that when there's so much talk on the outside and when it's not about football or your play, it can affect things," Iniesta said. "You try, or at least should try, to ignore all of that because a lot of it isn't true. The sheer number of reports can annoy you.
"That said, we know we're at a club where a lot is asked of you, where everything is magnified tenfold. There are so many opinions and a lot of things can come from that. When things aren't going exactly to plan, then we have to deal with those kind of situations.
"The only way we can change that and make the public more settled is by playing well and winning. That way they forget a bit about all the stuff on the outside and focus instead on what their players are doing on the pitch."
With Barca sitting one point off the top of La Liga, while also remaining in the Champions League and Copa del Rey, Iniesta says the squad will be going all out to win the lot, especially after missing out on a trophy last season.
"We are out to win everything we can and have a lot to look forward to," Iniesta added. "We've got a great team and the disappointment of last year has to be a motivation for us to show our true colours and try to end this season with a smile on our faces and our fans celebrating a title once more."