Barcelona reportedly have a couple of plans in place to bring Lionel Messi back to the club next summer in a playing or non-playing capacity.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner bid a tearful farewell to Barcelona in 2021, as the club’s financial condition made it impossible for Messi to continue.
Messi reportedly agreed to a 50% pay reduction in order to boost his chances of signing a new contract with Barcelona, but the Argentine eventually left Catalonia.
Messi’s transfer to PSG marked the end of a 21-year era in which he scored 672 goals and assisted 303 times in 778 games for Barcelona after signing from Newell’s Old Boys.
Messi won 36 major awards during his successful career at Camp Nou, but he failed to achieve the same goalscoring heights in his first season at Ligue 1.
Messi managed to produce 11 goals and 15 assists from 34 appearances under Mauricio Pochettino last season, and he has started the 2022-23 season strongly with six goals and eight assists from 11 games.
With Barcelona gradually resolving their financial crisis, the 35-year-old has been linked with a return to Catalonia, and his contract at PSG expires in 2023 with the option of an additional year.
Leo Messi To Return To Barcelona Next Summer?
According to Marca, Barcelona are eager to reunite with Messi, and president Joan Laporta is putting arrangements in place to make a deal possible as soon as possible.
Making Messi a worldwide club ambassador and planning a huge tribute of the South American’s accomplishments are reportedly two ways to “repair the relationship” between club and player.
Messi would not return to play in such a move, however the report adds that the possibility has not been ruled out, with Xavi in particular eager to see the Argentine wear the Catalan colours again.
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Bringing Messi back to Camp Nou as a player would demand a ‘enormous’ financial commitment, but the attacker still owns a home in Barcelona and has never ruled out a return.
Furthermore, if Messi were to re-sign for Barcelona as a player, he would have to take a significant pay cut from what he is presently earning in Paris, though the report suggests that he is willing to do so.
If that fails, the Argentine might move up to become the club’s technical secretary, and Barcelona will want to ensure that any new position accurately reflects his on-field achievements for the club.
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