Messi's return to Barça a little closer?
Time is ticking and still there’s no news on Lionel Messi’s renewal with PSG. After the World Cup, reports coming from France and Argentina were confident that he would be staying in Ligue 1 by activating the one season extension stipulated in his contract.
Now the tide has turned and it feels like his future lies elsewhere. Doubts regarding his continuity at PSG began on the 23rd January when Gerard Romero revealed that Messi was thinking of moving on, now that he’d won the World Cup.
Similarly to when he advanced the signing of Joules Koundé, very few believed him at first. Argentinian and French journalists were firm on their information that Messi was very close to completing his renewal with the Parisian club, discrediting what Romero had said.
But months have now gone by and Messi’s future is still uncertain given there’s been no further news on his continuity at PSG, reinforcing the idea that he wants to move on… or rather move back.
This is where the Barcelona option comes in, once again. What for some is a finished chapter, for many others it’s the opportunity to rewrite a sad ending.
There are different inputs suggesting Messi’s priority is to return “home”, starting with Romero’s information which tends to be very accurate when it comes to Barça. According to him PSG are out of the picture because Messi, his wife and kids want to be back in Barcelona. The Argentinian striker hasn’t felt the love in Paris, even being booed in recent games which has pushed him further away from the French capital.
Moreover, Romero got the chance to briefly interview Sergi Roberto at the Camp Nou before the international break, asking him about Messi and getting a very direct answer: “If it's up to the players, we’re already waiting for him”. Romero also thinks that Sergio Busquets is waiting on Leo Messi to decide if he continues at Barça for another season or departs.
Another indication of Messi’s possible return is when Barça’s vice president couldn’t help admitting in a press conference that he’d love to have him back, also adding that the club is currently in contact with Messi and his family regarding his future. Similarly, Xavi has also said multiple times that he’d love to have Messi back and that he often talks to him privately.
Last but not least, Sergio Agüero who is a very close friend of Messi, spoke out on this topic implying he should return and that it all comes down to Laporta meeting the player face to face.
Unfortunately, it’s more complicated than that because we all know Barça still has some serious financial issues to resolve. Even if Messi is willing to accept reduced wages as some reports are suggesting, the club would still need to move other players out and lower squad salaries, and after all that one can’t guarantee that Javier Tebas won’t try to boycott the deal.
The possibility is there and Messi seems willing to return, but Barça’s economic uncertainty is what complicates everything. With PSG he has a guaranteed contract if he wants it, whereas with Barça he might not know for sure until late into the summer, and we all know how that ended the last time.