Barcelona make Messi their number one target for 2023

Karan Tejwani

Updated: 11 Oct 2022 13:50 BST
3 min read

Barcelona are targeting a host of free transfers for next summer, and on top of their priority list is the return of Lionel Messi on a free transfer.

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The Paris Saint-Germain forward left the Blaugrana in the summer of 2021 on a free transfer after his contract ran out and Barcelona couldn’t afford a renewal on the Argentine’s deal at the club.

He moved to PSG, and there was reportedly a sour feeling between player and club President Joan Laporta, who has made it his mission to ensure Messi returns to the Camp Nou in the near future.

A part of the process was to repair the broken relationship and Laporta is keen to see Messi return to the club in 2023, and it’s now his core objective for the upcoming year.

Messi's return the top priority

Barcelona are in a slightly better financial state due to the activation of economic levers – selling shares of the club’s assets against future profits – which has allowed them to make signings in the summer transfer window.

Over the summer, the club signed players such as Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde and more, and are in a positive transfer balance from La Liga’s point of view.

Signing Messi is now seen as a real possibility, and reports of a move have been met with positivity by those at the club, including President Laporta and manager Xavi, who is eager to reunite with Messi next year.

G⚽️AL OF THE DAY
Messi 🆚 AC Milan pic.twitter.com/4BdkMMKmmu
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 11, 2022

It’s believed that Messi will decide his future after the World Cup, as he doesn’t want any distractions between now and the tournament with Argentina.

Messi has confirmed this World Cup will be his last with Argentina, meaning it’s his final chance to win football’s biggest tournament – the only trophy missing from his collection.

Earlier in the week, Laporta also confirmed that Barcelona will build a statue of Messi to commemorate his achievements – a sign that Barcelona wish to repair the relationship between themselves and the player.