Boateng's U-Turn😂 - Messi Best in Every World😏

New Barcelona signing Kevin-Prince Boateng dismissed suggestions of a past allegiance to Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo by lauding Lionel Messi as the best player "in this world and every world" during his official presentation.

Boateng completed a shock move to Barca on Monday, with the Catalan club bringing him in from Sassuolo on a loan deal until the end of the season which includes an €8million purchase option.

The 31-year-old represents a left-field option for Barca. Before Sassuolo, Boateng played for Las Palmas and then Eintracht Frankfurt, never quite living up to the early expectations of him after impressing as a teenager with Hertha Berlin.

After rumours of his move began to circulate, past quotes from Boateng declaring himself a Madrid fan and praising Ronaldo as the world's best player began to resurface, but he had a concise response on Tuesday.

"I am a Barcelona player and Lionel Messi is the best player in this world and every world," the Germany-born former Ghana international told reporters.

"Why are you laughing? That's the truth, he has shown that with all that he has won in the last 10 years.

"It's a great honour [to be at Barcelona] because Messi is the best player in the world, and Luis Suarez the best striker in the world.

"They play amazingly and being able to play by their side is a great gift."