Lionel Messi rumours fruitless before World Cup – Fabrizio Romano

Barcelona have made no secret of their desire to bring Lionel Messi back to the club next summer. The greatest player in the club’s history is available on a free when his contract expires at Paris Saint-Germain next summer and there is no defined path for him after that.

On Wednesday, Barcelona’s Economic Vice-President Eduard Romeu confirmed that a deal for Messi would be financially viable, news which heightened speculation.

Caught Offside asked transfer guru Fabrizio Romano about the Argentine’s future in his column.

“That is: Nothing will happen around Leo Messi before 2023. Leo is focused on Paris Saint-Germain and then on the World Cup, so he has no intention to decide his future before 2023.”

“Of course, PSG will try to extend his contract, and Barcelona are dreaming of his return, which won’t come as a big surprise, but nothing will be concrete before 2023.”

This has been the consistent narrative for several months on Messi.

As an institution, Barcelona would clearly be delighted to host a glorious return for Messi. It would be intriguing to see how his return affected dressing room dynamics though. A fresh Barcelona team has been built in the last 12 months and Messi would clearly affect that.

Tags Barcelona Lionel Messi Paris Saint-Germain
La Liga - Club News