Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has dismissed claims suggesting Raheem Sterling can reach the level of Argentina star Lionel Messi.

The Manchester City winger has been prolific for club and country in the past couple of seasons, thus warranting comparisons to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Busquets spoke highly of Sterling but refrained from comparing him to Messi. He claimed that such a comparison is harmful to the player’s career.

“Look, Sterling is a player with a big profile and a big potential,” he said, according to the Mirror.

“But comparing him to Leo Messi seems very exaggerated and not positive for the player.

“What is true is that each one is playing a very big role in his club. He is a good player and can also have a lot of influence on the English national team.

“As far as the Champions League is concerned, Manchester City is always one of the candidates. But Barcelona, with Messi, is the favourite for me.”