Messi tipped for Barcelona return by Liverpool legend

Stuart Telford

• 9 Apr 2023 11:52 BST
• 3 min read

Lionel Messi has been backed to return to Barcelona from PSG despite his former club's financial dire straits and with many other potential suitors swirling.

Messi is out of contract with Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season and has been booed by certain sections of the club's support in recent weeks as he delays signing an extension.

Barca have made no secret of the fact that want to bring Messi back to his spiritual home, but big-money offers from the Al-Hilal and David Beckham's Inter Miami have also reportedly been tabled, the former offering €400 million a year and the latter a stake in the franchise.

READ: Barcelona make REQUEST to complete Messi mega-transfer

Paris want him to stay, but former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore thinks he would be mad to.

PSG boos 'reaffirm' Messi loyalty

"If Lionel Messi returns to Barcelona, it would be simply amazing", he told Caught Offside. "He obviously feels he can still perform at the highest level in Europe, and he's not wrong.

"He knows La Liga is more competitive than Ligue 1 and Barcelona is his club. Barcelona fans are his fans, and being booed by PSG's supporters recently only reaffirms that."

READ: Barcelona's most controversial 'financial lever' yet to sign Messi

In contrast to his PSG treatment, Messi had his name chanted by the Blaugrana in the 10th minute of their recent 4-0 loss to Real Madrid in El Clasico.

That defeat came in the Copa del Rey, meaning Barca remain 12 points clear of their great rivals at the top of La Liga.

The club have been told they need to reduce their debt by €200m if they want to take part in the competition next season, though, complicating their ability to bring Messi back to Camp Nou.

Messi earns €63.6m before tax at the Parc des Princes, and whilst he might be willing to take a pay cut, he would still expect to earn more than the club's top earner Frenkie de Jong, who is on €37.5m a season with Barcelona.