Barcelona are getting more closer to signing Lionel Messi next summer as hope increased.
Messi’s exit from Barcelona last year stunned the football world to its core. Few people could have predicted that the Argentine’s career wouldn’t end at Spotify Camp Nou.
However, due to the club’s salary bill issues and La Liga’s stringent Financial Fair Play regulations, Barça were unable to extend Messi’s contract, and he ultimately decided to sign a two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi’s return to Barcelona is highly discussed given that his deal with the Parisians is set to expire in less than a year. The chapter of the Argentine superstar at the club is not ended, according to president Joan Laporta, and manager Xavi is reportedly open to his return.
So much so that, according to a new claim from Mundo Deportivo, Barça is looking into the best ways to restore their relationship with Messi in order to re-sign him in the summer of 2023.
After Laporta’s departure from the club was managed, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s relationship with him soured. The club, though, is determined to change that and is considering a number of remedies.
All alternatives, from renewing his contract for the following season to maybe designating him as the club’s ambassador to paying him a significant homage, are currently on the table.
Even though the club would be happy to have the possibility to re-sign the Argentina captain, they must carefully consider a number of aspects before making such a decision, including the cost of operation, whether there is enough room on the pay bill for him, and the team’s strategy to incorporate him.
After all, Barça won’t have any levers to pull and will be operating within a strict budget next season. Additionally, Xavi is assembling a team for the future, and the club must make sure that this development does not stop.
According to the article, Laporta has set himself the goal of bringing Messi back to the team and is highly driven to do it.
Because he had promised to extend the ex-contract captain’s but was unable to do so due to the salary cap, the Barça president feels that he has betrayed the player.
PSG, though, is unlikely to relent quickly because they are “passionate” about extending the contract of the 35-year-old player.
Furthermore, there are indications that the bond between Laporta and Messi is strengthening. Even though the superstar’s team denies it, there have been communication exchanges and meetings to discuss the prospect of a comeback.
Messi would have to take a pay cut if he were to return to Camp Nou, though, as the Catalans are unable to match his current PSG salary. The 35-year-old would also occasionally have to take a supporting position in the team as Barça worked to the future.
The source also states that Barcelona intends to pay Messi the tribute he rightfully deserves for all that he has done for the team over the previous 20 years.
Even if the article claims that the Argentine would prefer a job as the Technical Secretariat, they would want to keep him connected to the club in a role like the Global Ambassador.
