Barcelona fans have been sent into frenzy after Catalunya Radio has reported that the club has put in motion the plan to resign Lionel Messi. The Barca legend left last summer after the club found it unable to register him due to awful financial conditions. Messi’s time at the club came to a tragic end despite having agreed on a new deal.
However, club president Joan Laporta has vowed to bring Messi back to Barcelona where he could achieve a deserved farewell to his career. Though deemed as a difficult operation, Laporta reportedly has readied a plan in order to accomplish it. Further on, Messi who joined Barcelona at 13-years-old too wishes to return to Spain per multiple reports.
Laporta plans to pay his ‘debt’ by bringing back Lionel Messi to Barcelona
Ever since Lionel Messi left, Laporta has been talking of his return. However, this could be a reality by 2023 as per Catalunya Radio. According to their El Club de la Mitjanit programme, Laporta has already commenced talks with Messi’s representatives which includes his father Jorge Messi who mainly heads the talks on behalf of his son.
Messi becomes a free agent by the summer of 2023 when his contract with PSG expires. Though he has an option of extending his stay at the capital club by another year, it is deemed as highly unlikely since Messi himself wants to stage a comeback to Camp Nou. According to multiple reports, the La Pulga has been in contacts with the Catalan club’s authorities despite leaving last summer.
Moreover, rumours of Barcelona manager Xavi demanding Messi’s signing next summer also surfaced last month. Laporta too dropped a hint at the same time, as talking to CBS Sports he had said: “I did what I had to do in order to put the institution above the best player in history. I’ve known Messi since he was a kid, I love Leo.
“I feel a moral debt to the best player in history. I’ll do my best to make sure Messi has the best ending of his career with Barcelona. I would like to do it. It will not be easy but I think that with the correct strategy we could do it. We will do our best to have Messi ending his career with Barcelona.”
However, on being asked whether the negotiations have begun, the Barca president replied, “This is an idea that we have. Now is not the best moment to talk about it since he is a player of PSG and he has one more year on his contract. We have to respect it.”
Nonetheless, there are too many indications that Messi will reconsider making a dramatic comeback to Barcelona and Laporta pays his debt to the club’s best player ever. The Argentina captain won seven Ballon d’Ors in his time at the club, while racking up over 1000 goal contributions in 776 appearances.