Sergio Ramos invites Lionel Messi to Real Madrid

In the football world even outside of La Liga, this summer's transfer window is highly anticipated especially with both captains of Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona effectively out of contract. These are two of the best clubs in the world and to have both captains currently stuck with expiring contracts is enough to have fans sitting on the edge of their seats.

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi expressed his desire to leave the Camp Nou last summer, and has so far been linked to other European giants like Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. No one imagined a move to bitter rivals Real Madrid, but Sergio Ramos says he would not be opposed to the idea. In fact, if the Argentine decides to move to the capital, he would "100 percent" be accepted by Ramos, assuming he would stay there himself.

According to Metro, Ramos surprised fans during a recent Twitch interview by saying "Would I accept Messi in Madrid? 100 percent. Without doubts."

Ramos also said "I would be delighted to welcome Messi, I'll make my house available to him for the first few weeks."

Hilariously, he spoke about the bitter rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona, and the many times he had to face the Argentine on the pitch over the years. "We had to suffer Leo in his best years, so the fact of not having to face him would be good. He would help us win and achieve more success. It would be silly to say otherwise."

However, Ramos made it clear that while Messi is welcome to come to Madrid, he himself would never consider a move to FC Barcelona. "I would never play for Barcelona, not for €50M nor for €70M per year. There some things that money can't buy. It's impossible," he said.

The comments about inviting Messi to stay with him gave fans hope that Ramos still has his mind set on staying with the club beyond this season. He had previously rejected offers for an extension, but his recent injury may have softened his stance. After undergoing knee surgery in early February, he has yet to return to active competition despite having been spotted in training this week.

Having a serious injury has given Ramos less leverage if he wants to negotiate with other clubs who may potentially want his services. It remains to be seen if he will be able to finalise a deal with Florentino Perez in the coming months. Right now, he will be focusing all of his energy into getting back on the pitch in time for the club's match against Italian side Atalanta in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie. The match is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.