Messi’s father says player ‘would like to return’ to Barcelona, amid Saudi talk
MADRID (AP) — Barcelona has not given up hope of seeing Lionel Messi returning to the membership regardless of rising hypothesis a couple of pending transfer to Saudi Arabia, and his father stated Monday that his son prefers to return to the Catalan membership.
Jorge Messi was in Barcelona and briefly answered questions from reporters after reportedly assembly with membership president Joan Laporta.
The participant’s father sidestepped most questions however acknowledged that Messi “would like to return” to the membership the place he spent most of his profession. When requested if he believed his son may very well be again, he stated “yes.”
“It is dependent upon plenty of issues. I don’t know something,” he stated. “We’ll see what occurs.”
Barcelona has continued to restructure its funds to verify it could possibly afford Messi’s return in case the Argentina star decides to return again to the Spanish league after his stint with Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG introduced this previous weekend that Messi is not going to keep on the membership for one more season, and the participant was reportedly mulling profitable affords from Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia and Inter Miami within the United States.
Barcelona was all the time an possibility because it’s the membership the place he grew up and thrived for practically twenty years earlier than leaving to hitch PSG in 2021 amid the Catalan membership’s monetary struggles.
Barcelona’s funds are in higher form now, however including Messi to the squad would make it tougher for the membership to fulfill the Spanish league’s strict monetary truthful play guidelines.
“It’s not easy, but we’ll see,” Laporta stated this weekend.
The membership was working with the league to verify it might get an enough wage cap accepted forward of the brand new season. It nonetheless has so as to add some gamers who had been registered with the youth squads, together with playmaker Gavi, but it surely gained some essential wage cap house with the departure of veterans akin to Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
“I would really like to have Leo back. He knows it, I’ve spoken to him,” Barcelona coach Xavi stated. “It would be spectacular, not only for me as a coach, but as a fan as well. He is a spectacular player who could help us in so many different areas. But it’s his decision and I will understand it no matter what happens.”
Laporta has stated the membership would do all the pieces attainable to attempt to deliver Messi again.
After not having the ability to maintain the playmaker and seeing the crew wrestle, Laporta and his board needed to take motion and bought off 25% of the membership’s Spanish league TV rights for the following 25 years, together with different property. The money was used to revamp the squad with the signings of gamers akin to Robert Lewandowski, Jules Koundé and Raphinha. The crew received the league title this season for the primary time since 2019, but it surely nonetheless struggled within the Champions League and the Europa League.
The crew’s first title since Messi’s departure had been the Spanish Super Cup in January, when it defeated rival Real Madrid within the ultimate in Saudi Arabia.
The 35-year-old Messi left Barcelona after 17 profitable seasons through which he helped the Catalan membership win 35 titles, together with 4 Champions Leagues, 10 Spanish leagues and 7 Copa del Reys.
While with Barcelona, Messi earned himself a report six Ballon d’Or awards because the world’s high participant. He stays the crew’s all-time scorer with 672 targets in 778 appearances, and the highest scorer within the Spanish league with 474 targets in 520 matches.
Messi was the highest scorer within the Spanish league in eight seasons, and the highest scorer within the Champions League on six events. His 26 targets in opposition to Real Madrid are a report for the “clasico” matches in opposition to Barcelona’s fiercest rival.
Messi arrived at Barcelona at age 13, when he and his household got here to Spain to strive his luck at Barcelona’s youth academy. He made his official debut on Oct. 16, 2004, and two years later helped the membership win its first Champions League title in a squad led by Ronaldinho.
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