By this point in time, it has become abundantly clear that Barcelona president Joan Laporta wants to re-sign Lionel Messi next year.
The 35-year-old superstar was forced out of the club in 2021, as the Catalans were in no position to renew his contract because of their financial problems. Eventually, Messi decided to leave as a free agent, signing for Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal
The said contract with PSG expires next summer, which has sparked the interest of Barcelona, who are intent on bringing back their former club captain.
President Laporta has made it a mission to re-sign the Barça legend as he feels ‘sorry’ for the manner in which his exit was handled, reports SPORT.
The club president is aware of the difficulties that will be involved in such a deal, but is ready to do everything it takes to make the move happen. But the report adds that in order to sign Messi back, Barcelona will need three miracles to happen.
First and foremost would be for Messi himself to have the desire to return to Barcelona. While the 35-year-old has never explicitly mentioned it, the report claims that he would be open to coming back to Spotify Camp Nou.
More recently, Veronica Brunati, a journalist close to Messi and his camp reported that he will be a Blaugrana player next July, which could indicate that he is reciprocating the club’s feelings about a possible reunion.
Secondly, the club would also have to find means to ensure that the Argentina captain fits onto the wage bill without breaching the La Liga Fair Play rules. But with the potential exits of Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique, there could be room to accommodate Messi’s wages.
The club are seemingly confident about that matter, with vice-president Eduard Romeu insisting on two separate occasions recently that the Catalans see the signing as financially viable.
The third ‘miracle’ that Barcelona would require, as per the report, is that manager Xavi finds a way to fit Messi into his plans within the side. The 42-year-old will welcome his former teammate back to the club with open arms, but how he fits into the scheme of things would be interesting to see.
Amidst this, Barça will have to deal with PSG as well, who are ready to do everything in order to convince Messi to prolong his stay at Parc des Princes.
The record Ballon d’Or winner is feeling more and more comfortable in France after a slow start. Plus, Messi would also have the option of joining an MLS club as well. So the decision to return to Barcelona will not be made as quickly as one would anticipate, as per the report.