Barcelona president Joan Laporta has given a positive update on Lionel Messi's possible return to the club. The Argentine has been linked with a return to the Catalan giants this summer as his Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) contract runs out.
Messi moved to Paris after Barcelona failed to offer him a new contract in the 2021 summer transfer window. He initially struggled to hit the ground running but came into his own in his second season at the Parc des Princes.
However, the French giants have reportedly failed to convince Messi to extend his stay at the club as his two-year contract nears expiry. Barcelona have emerged as the front-runners with club president Laporta said to be eager to bring the Argentina international back to Camp Nou.
He was recently asked by an excited fan if Messi's move to Barcelona was on and Laporta replied in the affirmative, saying:
"Yes."
Here's a video of his one-word response that has now gone viral on social media:
Joan Laporta confirms meeting Lionel Messi's father in Paris
In March this year, Barcelona president Joan Laporta admitted to meeting Lionel Messi's father and revealed that the duo talked about his situation at PSG.
However, he was quick to add that the conversation was majorly about a tribute match at Camp Nou.
“We have seen each other, yes. We talked about the situation, I congratulated him because he won the World Cup in Argentina. We talked about the tribute to Leo, who has extraordinary affection for Barça, but don’t make me talk anymore because he is at PSG and I want to respect him. No I won’t talk about whether he could return as a player because he plays in Paris.” said Laporta (via SPORT).
It remains to be seen whether Messi will return to Barcelona this summer. The likes of Inter Miami and a couple of Saudi Arabian clubs have also been linked with a move for the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner. But the Argentine reportedly wants to continue playing in Europe.
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