Argentine journalist Gaston Edul has claimed that Lionel Messi will not be returning to Barcelona after his Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) spell comes to an end.
Messi left the Camp Nou for the Parc des Princes on a free deal in the summer transfer window of 2021. The unceremonious exit from his boyhood club left La Pulga devastated and he was visibly upset during his farewell press conference.
As it turned out, it was the Barcelona board that was unwilling to offer the Argentine talisman a new contract, which forced his move to PSG.
Edul has now claimed that Messi and Blaugrana president Joan Laporta are not on good terms. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will thus refrain from returning to Spain as long as Laporta is at the helm of affairs at Barcelona.
“The relationship between Messi’s camp and Laporta is not good. Messi loves Barcelona, but the absolute difference is the board in the club. The relationship between the parties didn’t end in the best way,” he claimed on TyC Sports.
Another Argentine journalist, Rodolfo Cingolani, reported:
“The information what I have is that relationship is not good and on current conditions Messi will not return to Barcelona.”
In reply to Cingolani’s claims, Gaston Edul added:
“It’s true what you’re saying.”
Lionel Messi’s contract at PSG is set to expire this summer but several reports have claimed that he will extend his stay in Paris. The club also have the option to extend his contract by another year.
How Lionel Messi has fared at PSG since leaving Barcelona
Lionel Messi grew into arguably the world’s best player at Barcelona, winning several team and personal accolades before moving to Paris. In all, he made 778 appearances for the Blaugrana, scoring 672 goals and laying out 303 assists.
While he took his time to settle down at PSG, having a sub-par debut season, he has come into his own in the second term. So far, he has made 55 appearances for the French giants across competitions and has scored 24 goals and provided 29 assists.