Following their 2-0 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich on Tuesday night in the UEFA Champions League, Barcelona bosses have made their stance clear on Lionel Messi.
The Paris Saint-Germain star looks set to extend his stay in the French capital despite reports of the Barcelona manager Xavi keen to see him back to Camp Nou.
Messi had spent his entire career with Barcelona before leaving in 2020, scoring a club-record 672 goals.
However, his first season with PSG was far from a success as he ended the campaign with just 11 goals – his lowest personal return in more than 15 years.
The La Liga giants are reportedly working hard to land the signature of their former skipper and both Xavi and president Joan Laporta are still dreaming of a sensational return to the Camp Nou.
Laporta was Barcelona’s president when the club won the Champions League in 2009, with Messi scoring both goals against Manchester United in the final.
The 60-year-old was re-elected shortly after Messi’s departure, and he made his wish clear regarding the Argentine’s return to the club.
“To Barca, he’s been possibly its greatest player, the most efficient. To me he’s only comparable to Johan Cruyff,” he said according to the Mirror.
“But it had to happen one day. We had to make a decision as a consequence of what we inherited. The institution is in charge of players, and coaches.
“I would hope that the Messi chapter isn’t over. I think it’s our responsibility to try to… find a moment to fix that chapter, which is still open and hasn’t closed, so it turns out as it should have, and that it has a more beautiful ending.”
Speaking about the nippy and dribbling wizard, Xavi could not hide his ambitions, saying he would like to see Messi in a Braca shirt once again.
“I would like to think that Messi’s time at the club is not over, let alone the way it happened,” Xavi said per Metro.
“I think he deserves a second chance, or another chance, to show that he can leave the club well and that he has been the best player in history.
“From next year we will talk about it. But the question is whether I would like it, the answer is yes.”
However, with Messi’s current deal in Paris expiring in the summer of 2023, he looks set to remain at PSG considering his return to his old form.
He has netted three goals and a league-leading seven assists in Ligue 1 this season with Christophe Galtier’s team top of the table after winning six of their first seven games.
Main Image: Lionel Messi/MetroUK
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