Lionel Messi has been spotted in Barcelona alongside his family as he continues to be linked with a sensational return to the Nou Camp this summer.
Messi’s contract at PSG is due to expire in June, and it remains unclear as to where he will be playing his football next season. He had looked set to sign a new deal with the French champions at the turn of the year, but the two parties are yet to reach an agreement.
Messi will reportedly receive a lucrative offer to join long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia this summer, but the door has also been left open for him to go back to Barcelona, two years after he left the Catalan giants.
According to Sport, Messi has returned to Barcelona this weekend, accompanied by his family and 15 suitcases, with PSG not in action again until next Sunday.
Barcelona are keen to re-sign the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, but must overcome their crippling financial issues to get a deal over the line.
Lionel Messi has reportedly gone back to Barcelona with his family this weekend
Messi has been linked with a return to Barcelona once his PSG contract expires this summer
Barcelona recently spoke to Messi’s father and agent Jorge, and club president Joan Laporta appeared confident of the Argentine star returning when asked by a fan earlier this month.
However, it seems far from straightforward for Barcelona to bring Messi back, with the club set to offer him a contract worth four times less than his previous agreement at the Nou Camp.
They must also raise £178m before signing new players in the next transfer window as LaLiga keep a close eye on their precarious financial situation.
This follows the club spending big last summer as they added Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde to their squad.
Sport’s report claims Barcelona are expected to hold further talks with Messi’s representatives in the coming weeks to try to resolve any issues and reach an agreement.
Barcelona’s pursuit could be helped by PSG’s stance on Messi’s future, with the French giants ready to let Messi leave the club when his contract ends this summer, as reported by The Mirror.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is reportedly ready to let Messi leave at the end of the season
Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is understood to have made the decision to focus on building a more financially stable project that focuses on promoting young French talent rather than relying on a few star names.
PSG are on course for their second successive Ligue 1 title, with Messi starring alongside Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in the team’s frontline.
However, the side have failed to get any closer to winning the Champions League since Messi arrived in 2021, suffering consecutive last-16 exits at the hands of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, respectively.
Al-Khelaifi is now prepared to change strategies in an attempt to turn around the club’s fortunes in Europe, and this is likely to mean that Messi will move on from the French capital in the coming months.
source: dailymail.co.uk
