Lionel Messi’s father and agent, Jorge, recently held a meeting with Barcelona president Joan Laporta amid speculation regarding Messi's potential return to the Spanish club. Messi had previously confirmed his departure from PSG at the end of the season and played his final game for the French side on Saturday, receiving criticism from some of his own fans. There has been significant interest in Messi's next move, with Barcelona, Al-Hilal, and Inter Miami among the favorites to secure his signature. The meeting between Messi's father and the Barcelona president took place after La Liga reportedly gave the club permission to engage in important transfer activities during the summer. It is expected that Barcelona will make an official contract offer to Messi once they offload a significant player. After the meeting, Jorge Messi briefly addressed reporters and acknowledged that Messi would like to return to Barcelona, where he spent the majority of his career. When asked if he believed his son could come back, Jorge responded affirmatively, though he added that many factors would come into play. Messi left Barcelona in 2021 to join PSG due to financial constraints faced by his former club. During his time at Barcelona, he scored a remarkable 672 goals in 778 matches. A potential reunion with Barcelona would offer Messi an emotional return to the club he called home for 17 years, potentially providing a fairy-tale ending to his illustrious career.
💣💣EXCLUSIVA💣💣
Ahora mismo, reunión en casa de JOAN LAPORTA entre el presidente del Barça y JORGE MESSI para tratar el posible regreso del jugador argentino. pic.twitter.com/dYVu16QTz8
— Toni Juanmartí (@tjuanmarti) June 5, 2023
Messi left Barcelona in 2021, signing for PSG on a two-year deal. A move to the Ligue 1 champions happened after his former employers were unable to afford a deal under LaLiga’s financial fair play rules.
During his time with Barca, he netted a record 672 goals in 778 matches for the club he joined as a 13-year-old.
Now it looks as though an emotional return to the Spanish club is likely. A deal would see Messi return to the club he called home for 17 years, giving the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner what would likely be a fairytale ending to his career.