Lionel Messi has reportedly taken a call on possibly returning to Barcelona and has chosen to stay put at Paris Saint-Germain for the time being.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona legend and ex-captain does not have any interest in returning to Camp Nou for the time being. The Argentine forward is determined to stay put at Paris Saint-Germain and hope to win the UEFA Champions League this season.
Lionel Messi is inarguably the best player to have represented Barcelona and one of the greatest to have ever played the game. The 34-year-old made his first-team debut for the Blaugrana in 2004 at the budding age of 17. And for nearly two decades, Messi was the single-most influential figure for Barcelona, winning trophies galore while amassing 672 goals and 301 assists in 778 appearances.
However, in a shock move, Messi’s stint with Barcelona ended in the summer transfer window, with Barcelona unable to tie him down to a new contract. He subsequently joined Paris Saint-Germain in one of the biggest transfers of all time. The switch to PSG has not worked out as well as planned so far, though, with Messi managing only four goals in nine outings thus far.
However, despite his struggles to settle down at PSG, Messi is determined to succeed at the French club and hopes to win the UEFA Champions League with them this season. In addition, the Argentine forward is hoping to be in the most ideal of shapes in preparation for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar next year.
So, such a development kills all hopes of a possible return to Barcelona, which has been mooted since the appointment of Xavi Hernandez as the new manager. Messi has previously spoken about his desire to come back to Camp Nou, albeit in a directorial role.
In contrast, Barcelona president Joan Laporta recently refused to rule out a possible return of Messi and even Andres Iniesta, despite ludicrous claims that he was hoping for Messi to say he would play for the Catalan giants for free before he was forced to move away.
Hence, it looks like Messi will honour his current contract with PSG at the very least in the hope of winning the UEFA Champions League with them. Once his PSG deal runs out, it will be interesting to see where the 34-year-old’s career takes him.
