Barcelona Vice-President Rafa Yuste has told the press that the club are in talks with Lionel Messi over a return to the club.
He made the comments to Sport, amongst other gathered press, as the club opened the 10th edition of their Barca Academy Wolrd Cup.
Asked about the Argentine’s future, Yuste explained that they were speaking to Messi and his family.
“Leo [Messi] and his family know the affection I have for them. I participated in the negotiations that unfortunately did not lead to success. I have the thorn in me that Leo could not continue in our club. If we are talking about Masia and grassroots football, we are talking about Messi. Of course I would love to see him come back. For what it could represent at a sporting, social and economic level. We are in contact with them, yes.”
Yuste went on to highlight that he hoped “that all the conditions can fit together so that this story of mutual love ends with Messi at Barca. When you’re in love and you separate from someone, you always want to continue in love. Even if you lose contact. We will always be in love with Leo and he will be in love with Barca and the city of Barcelona. I am one of those who thinks that destiny is wise.”
Finally he declared that there is still plenty of work to do in order to make a tranfer remotely viable.
“There are two months left in which we have to work, especially Mateu and Jordi, to first present our viability plan to Tebas. Then, if the conditions are met, because Leo is a PSG player and I wouldn’t like to say anything else my tastes and desires, we would enter into the possibility of welcoming him. We do not want to meddle in the day-to-day life of PSG.”
Amongst that work is making up a €200m shortfall, as per La Liga President Javier Tebas, through cuts, savings and sales.
The fact that Barcelona are at least attempting to bring Messi back is sure to excite many Barcelona fans though. Yuste’s statements also come fresh off the back of reports of Barcelona’s mutli-faceted strategy to bring Messi back to the club.
