Xavi Hernandez has refused to rule out the possibility of Lionel Messi returning to Barcelona in the summer of 2023.
Speaking to the media (h/t ESPN), Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has claimed that re-signing Lionel Messi is ‘impossible’ this summer but has refused to rule out a possible return next year.
Last week, Barcelona president Joan Laporta opened the door for Messi to return to Camp Nou following his shock departure from the club in 2021. The Catalan giants’ supremo insisted that the Argentine superstar’s chapter at Barça was still not over, hinting that they could make efforts to re-sign him.
Messi signed a two-year contract with PSG when he joined them last year, meaning that he will be a free agent next summer. And following Laporta’s comments, it has been reported that Xavi also wants to reunite with his teammate and has asked the club to sign him on a Bosman deal next summer.
When asked about the possibility of Messi coming back to Camp Nou, Xavi said: “Leo has a contract, so it’s impossible, impossible. “It doesn’t make sense to speak about Messi. He is the best player in the world and the best ever.
Xavi: "Makes no sense to speak about Leo Messi's comeback at Barcelona right now, he's under contract with PSG so it's impossible. We'll see in the future". ??? #FCB @HelenaCondis
"Laporta had already said he hoped it was not yet the end for Messi at Barça", Xavi added. pic.twitter.com/9U0FQ9FxGX
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 26, 2022
“The president has already said that he hopes Messi’s story has not finished with Barcelona. We will see in the future, but it’s not the moment to speak about Leo, it’s the moment to talk about the exciting players we have here,” he added.
After spending his entire career at Camp Nou, Messi was forced to leave Barcelona last summer as a free agent as the club were in no position to renew his contract due to their financial situation. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner was willing to forego 50% of his wages to make the deal happen, but the Blaugrana could not accommodate his signing on their bloated wage bill.
Having joined PSG, Messi won the Ligue 1 title in his debut campaign in France. The Barcelona legend will be 36 when his contract with PSG expires, but the Catalans seem keen on bringing him back so that he can spend the final years of his career at Camp Nou.