Argentine legend Lionel Messi could have made a sensational return to his beloved Barcelona back in the year 2023 following his disappointing spell in Ligue 1 with PSG, a recent report revealed.
The report
stated that Messi was in touch with then Barca boss Xavi and the board were working on a possible return to the Catalan club, which ultimately fell through due to the club’s financial state at the time and the La Liga’s refusal to green light the move.
Per reports, in January of 2023, Messi rang up then-manager and former teammate Xavi and conveyed his intentions of returning to the Catalan club, following which Xavi designed a plan for Messi, at his given age at that point in time, to slot right into the starting XI of the Blaugrana.
The duo remained in touch and spoke to each other every 10-15 days for following few months. In February, Baca President Joan Laporta began talks with Jorge Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s father and representative, to furthen the negotiation process before Mateu Alemany informed Xavi that La Liga had approved the signing, and the club have started to draft Messi’s contract in April.
However, a couple of days later, Jorge Messi called up Xavi to explain that the move fell through because La Liga no longer gave the green light for the move.
It was only then Messi opted to sign for the David Beckham-owned MLS side Inter Miami following a nervy couple of months filled with angst about his future destination as the Argentine World Cup-winner was tired of for Barcelona to get their financial issues sorted out.
Messi, who spent a trophy-laden couple of decades at Barca was forced to move out of the club due to the horrendous financial state the club found itself in as he made the move to PSG, before eventually moving to Miami.
