Lionel Messi’s return to Barcelona in 2023: The latest
FT Desk
- 5 Oct 2022 10:45 CDT
- 3 min read
Barcelona are “dreaming” of bringing Lionel Messi back to the club and have held internal discussions about his return, according to Fabrizio Romano.
There have been reports in the last few days that a deal to re-sign Messi at the end of the season on a Bosman transfer is all but done.
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Transfer journalist Romano says that a deal has not been finalised yet but has given Barcelona fans optimism when explaining the state of play.
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What did Romano say about Messi?
“Speaking to sources close to Leo, there is nothing decided yet – there is no agreement with Barcelona,” Romano wrote in his CaughtOffside column.
“It is true that Barca are dreaming of his return, and it’s something discussed internally at the club, but at the moment there is still nothing agreed, and there’s no offer.
“We also have to mention PSG – Messi is happy there and they want to offer him a new contract, so PSG will fight to keep Messi, even if Barcelona will be there to try to sign him as a free agent.
“For now, he’s focused on winning the Champions League with PSG, and of course on the World Cup with Argentina. A decision on his future won’t come until 2023.”
Messi’s contract with PSG expires at the end of the 2022-23 season, although he has an option to extend his deal by another year.
The 35-year-old joined PSG from Barcelona on a free transfer in 2021.
Messi broke virtually every record during over 20 years at Camp Nou, scoring an incredible 672 goals in 778 games.
He also won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League, in addition to numerous other individual and team honours.
But Barcelona were unable to sign him to a new deal in the summer of 2021 – mainly for financial reasons - leading to an infamous farewell press conference in which Messi broke down and cried.
Messi endured a difficult first season in Paris, scoring just four Ligue 1 goals all campaign and performing poorly as PSG were dumped out of the Champions League – capitulating from 2-0 up on aggregate to lose 3-2 to Real Madrid in the last-16.
However, he has been in fine form so far this campaign, already registering seven goals and eight assists.
