Andres Iniesta open to Barcelona return

Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta has claimed that he would be open to returning to his former club if a chance presented itself in the near future.

Speaking to Gerard Romero on his Twitch channel (h/t GOAL), former Barcelona superstar Andres Iniesta has insisted that he would jump at the chance of returning to Camp Nou and help the club in any way possible if an opportunity comes along.

Iniesta is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the modern era. The Spaniard joined Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy back in 1996 and steadily grew through the ranks before breaking into the first-team setup in 2002. He then went on to scale great heights with the club, forming one of the best midfield tridents along with fellow La Masia graduates Xavi Hernandez and Sergio Busquets.

Iniesta was a key part of the all-conquering Barcelona side that Pep Guardiola built, while he continued to help the team achieve success under Luis Enrique as well. The veteran midfielder called time on his stint at Camp Nou in 2018, joining Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe on a free transfer.

Since moving to Asia, Iniesta has continued to perform at a high level despite being well into the twilight of his career. Currently 37 years old, the 2010 FIFA World Cup winner is not thinking about hanging up his boots anytime soon. He also insisted that he would love to return to Barcelona if a chance came along and help his former teammate Xavi, who is now the manager of the Catalans’ first team.

“I would love to return to Barcelona,” Iniesta insisted. “I would like to help the institution. There are many variables involved and it is difficult to know what will happen in the future. Barca is my home and I couldn’t be anywhere better than there. Today I like to think a lot about playing. That’s what fascinates me the most today.”

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has previously flirted with the idea of re-signing Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi. Back in November last year, following the appointment of Xavi as manager and the signing of another club legend in Dani Alves, the club supremo hinted that he would consider the possibility of bringing Iniesta back to Camp Nou if it would benefit the team.

“I don’t rule anything out,” Laporta had said. “It happened with Dani – age is [just] a number. They’re two great players. I can’t predict what will happen tomorrow, they’re still playing and contracted to other clubs. You never know what happens in life.”

Iniesta has a contract with Vissel Kobe that runs until January 2024. The Spaniard made 674 appearances for Barcelona during his first stint. It will be interesting to see if the Catalan giants decide to bring him back in some capacity in the coming years.