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Newly-signed Barcelona forward Kevin-Prince Boateng has claimed that Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are the best players in the world.

The 31-year-old Ghana international has joined from Serie A club Sassuolo in a £1.8m deal which includes an option to buy for £7.1m in the summer. He became a vital cog for the Neroverdi after joining from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer, scoring four goals in 13 games. Boateng, who is an astute Real Madrid fan and a keen admirer of Juventus stars Cristiano Ronaldo, unsurprisingly stated that both Suarez and Messi are above every player in the world during his unveiling at the Camp Nou.

"The best player is Messi — in the entire world. Why are you laughing? It's the truth. He's the best player in this world — in every world. He's showed why in the last 10 years," Boateng said when asked on his opinion on Messi and Suarez. "One is one of the best players in the world, the other is the best player in the world." The former AC Milan ace will be available for the first leg of Barcelona's Copa del Rey quarter-final clash against Sevilla on Wednesday night.