Xavi casts MAJOR doubt on Messi’s Barcelona return

Tom Hancock

• 23 May 2023 19:18 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona manager Xavi has admitted that Lionel Messi’s potential return to the club remains very much uncertain.

Messi will leave PSG as a free agent this summer, and Barca have made little secret of their desire for a reunion with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner – who has also been strongly linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia.

But if Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain is to return to the club where he established himself as arguably the greatest player of all time, there’s still a lot of work to do.

READ: Lewandowski calls Messi to Barcelona

Speaking to reporters ahead of recently-crowned LaLiga champions Barca’s trip to Real Valladolid, Xavi said of the potential for a romantic homecoming for Messi: “It’s up in the air; it depends on many things. There is not much more I can say.

“Leo is a spectacular footballer; he is a friend. From there, it depends on many things, but above all on his intentions and what he wants.”

Messi enjoyed immense success in the same legendary Pep Guadriola-coached Barca side as Xavi – whose latest remarks come after club president Joan Laporta vowed to do “everything” to bring the 35-year-old back to Catalonia.

READ: Messi to Barcelona: Xavi questions Leo’s transfer ‘desire’

Can Barca afford Messi

However, any move for Messi is bound to be complicated by Barca’s ongoing financial difficulties – the ultimate reason the two had to emotionally part ways two years ago.

With Messi out of contract next month, there would be no transfer fee involved – but he is said to be earning in excess of €700,000 a week at PSG.

Barca may well have to offload some high-value players in order to give themselves a chance of complying with LaLiga’s strict salary cap rule.

READ: Messi, Tielemans, De Gea and the best players available on free transfers this summer