FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has admitted they would very much love for Lionel Messi to return to the Catalan outfit but stressed they do not want to generate expectations.
Lionel Messi and Barcelona parted ways in the summer of 2021, with the Argentine superstar leaving the club for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer after the expiry of his contract. Lionel Messi wanted to stay at FC Barcelona, and the two parties had agreed to sign a contract extension. But that could not happen due to financial and structural obstacles.
Messi then joined PSG on a two-year contract with an option for a further year. The Argentina international endured a rather underwhelming first season at PSG but has been stellar for the French behemoths in the ongoing 22/23 season – his second season with the Ligue 1 outfit.
Lionel Messi continues to be linked back with a sensational return to Barcelona, and Joan Laporta insists they would love for the Argentine to come back but admits any potential deal would be difficult.
Barcelona would very much love for Lionel Messi to come back, admits Joan Laporta
Speaking to Barca TV, Joan Laporta hailed Lionel Messi as the ‘best player of all time’ and revealed delight at the 35-year-old finally winning the FIFA World Cup title.
Joan Laporta is also convinced Lionel Messi has Barcelona in his heart and confessed that they would love for the Argentine to make a sensational return to the club he had spent the majority of his career.
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“Messi is a PSG player and has a contract with them. He has won the World Cup and the Culés have been very happy. What I don’t want to do is generate expectations that at the moment are very difficult,” Joan Laporta told Barca TV.
“For us, he is the best player of all time, we have had him here and I am convinced that in his heart he is a Culé and will always be linked to Barca. Whether or not he comes back as a player, at the moment he is at PSG and we would very much love him to come back one day, but we’ll see.”
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi’s current contract with PSG expires at the end of the 22/23 season. But there is an option to extend the contract by another year, and there are reports that Messi and PSG have reached an agreement in principle to extend his stay at the club until the end of the 23/24 season.
