Barcelona has begun an aggressive campaign to re-sign former star player Lionel Messi amid reports that he may extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain. A renewed push has been made by the Spanish club to bring the Argentine striker back to Camp Nou.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner announced his departure from Barcelona in August 2021 after spending his entire professional career there. He signed a two-year contract with PSG that included a third-year option. Recent reports, however, indicate that Barcelona is attempting to re-sign him to the team with which he won so many trophies at the domestic and European levels.
Barcelona toyed with Real Madrid pic.twitter.com/Uv04rDBshV
— Liam (@ThatWasMessi) March 30, 2023
Club president Joan Laporta allegedly discussed plans to build the team around Messi with the player’s representatives. Apparently, there had been an hour-long meeting scheduled between Laporta and Messi’s father and agent, Jorge Messi. However, the meeting did not seem to take place.
The Barcelona president is said to be confident that Messi will consider their offer, as he believes that the player still has strong ties to the club and the city. Laporta is reportedly planning to offer Messi a two-year deal with an option for a third year, along with a significant pay rise.
Xavi on Leo Messi’s return to Barça: “It’s not the time to talk about Messi’s return. I talk a lot with him. It's a topic that we are dealing with” 🚨🔵🔴 #FCB
“Hopefully we can see him at Barcelona again. It's the club of his life”. pic.twitter.com/PoZESuxD1A
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 31, 2023
FC Barcelona is in a critical state financially
Despite the club’s upbeat statements, Barcelona is still struggling financially and must cut its wage bill by €200 million in order to remain in compliance with league regulations. The club’s inability to register summer acquisition Marcos Alonso, as well as longtime players Gavi and Ronald Araujo, has only made matters worse.
To improve their competitiveness, the team reportedly plans to recruit new players and reorganize the current roster.
❗️ Xavi is adamant that the dressing room must stay a 'family' if Messi returns. The Argentine's relationship with some players with whom he had some tensions, for example Ter Stegen, will have to be strengthened. [md] #fcblive pic.twitter.com/r3TWhOfuc2
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 31, 2023
The stakes are high for Barcelona, as they face the possibility of missing out on their former star player, who has proven to be one of the greatest footballers of all time. However, the club wants to do everything in their power to bring Messi back to Camp Nou, and their aggressive initiative shows just how important he is to them.
Barcelona’s efforts to re-sign Messi also extend to social media, with the club’s official accounts frequently posting photos and videos of the player with the hashtag #MessiVuelve, which means “Messi returns.”
#messivuelve pic.twitter.com/jNoP70gj6P
— 10 (@Guille10__) March 13, 2022
As negotiations between PSG and Messi continue, fans of both clubs eagerly await the outcome, which will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the future of world football.
