Messi: I hope to improve every year

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has indicated that he is eager to continue to grow as a player in the new season.

The diminutive attacker enjoyed an impressive 2011-12 campaign, scoring 73 goals in all competitions to help the Blaugrana win the Spanish Supercopa, Uefa Super Cup, Club World Cup and Copa del Rey.

Earlier in the week, Argentine physio Fernando Signorini stated that Messi would reach his peak over the next few years, and the 25-year-old reckons that there is still room for improvement.

"I hope to improve every year," he told reporters at a press conference. "I hope I will be injury-free this season and that I will be available to play every match.

"I try to surpass myself not in terms of goals, but in terms of my growth as a player and in what I can give to the team.

"I hope that there is still margin for me to continue to grow. My goals are in terms of collective titles."

David Villa spent most of last season on the sidelines with a fractured tibia, but Messi does not think that the club should sign a new striker in the summer.

"With the forwards that we have, there is no need to sign more attackers," Messi explained. "It is crucial that Villa returns.

"He is doing very well and I hope he will be the same Villa as before. He is a very important player, he scores a lot of goals and we missed him last season."

Barcelona will face Real Madrid in the Supercopa in August and Messi refuses to rule out his side's chances of winning every competition.

"I hope we can win everything again. That is our goal," he added.

"We know it will be very hard, but we have not yet got over the semi-final defeat against Chelsea in the Champions League and the penalty I missed, and also the defeat against Madrid at Camp Nou."