Barcelona will not re-sign former captain Lionel Messi in the January transfer window despite reports linking him with the Blaugrana.
According to an update by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Lionel Messi is not the subject of interest from Barcelona. Recent reports have linked the Argentine international with the Blaugrana over a possible move in the January transfer window. But the reigning La Liga champions are not thinking about re-signing their former captain.
Lionel Messi spent most of his career thus far with Barcelona, joining them in 2000 from Newell’s Old Boys in 2000. The 36-year-old rapidly rose through the ranks at La Masia before breaking into the first-team squad in 2003. He came leaps and bounds at Camp Nou after that, becoming a pivotal figure for the Catalan outfit.
The Argentine international often scored goals for fun during his stint with Barcelona while winning every trophy multiple times. But Messi’s spell at Camp Nou ended in tears in 2021 after his contract expired. The player became the most sought-after figure in the market in the summer transfer window of 2021 before Paris Saint-Germain snapped him up.
But Messi’s spell with PSG was not one to remember, even though he won three trophies with the French giants. The volatility at Parc des Princes often left the veteran attacker to perform below his best levels. However, he was a happy camper on the international stage, winning the Copa America and the FIFA World Cup in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
However, Messi’s unhappy stint at PSG ended this past summer, as he left the club as a free agent. Once again, he became popular in the transfer market, with Barcelona among his prospective suitors. The prospect of a move to the Premier League or the Saudi Pro League also emerged.
But the 36-year-old moved to the Major League Soccer, with the David Beckham-owned Inter Miami snapping him up. And Messi has set the stage alight in the USA, racking up 11 goals and five assists in 13 appearances thus far for his new club. However, Inter Miami’s season ended after they failed to qualify for the Final series playoffs.
So, Messi does not have anything to do until February apart from playing international friendlies. Recent reports thus speculated that a short-term move to Barcelona might be on the cards. But the Catalan giants are not thinking about re-signing their former captain.
Even if Barcelona had been considering securing Messi’s services in the January transfer window, the never-ending financial woes would have forced them to move on from the Argentine wizard. So, a fairytale return to the Catalan club will unlikely materialise anytime soon.
