Joan Laporta: Barcelona’s door is always open to Lionel Messi | OneFootball

Barcelona club president Joan Laporta has dropped a major hint over a potential summer return for Lionel Messi.

Messi’s future has been a major talking point in Catalonia since the start of 2023 with his contract at Paris Saint-Germain due to expire in June.

The Argentinian international has an option to extend his deal by a further 12 months, ahead of the 2023/23 campaign, but he is unconvinced over remaining in Paris.

PSG are keen to keep Messi in the French capital with an offer expected to be made to the 35-year-old in the coming weeks.

However, as per reports from Marca, Laporta admitted there is growing interest in bringing Messi back to the Camp Nou, if a deal can be reached with their former talisman.

“I have to find a way to improve Messi’s current relationship with Barca”,  he said.

“We’ll see, but he knows Barca’s door is always open to him.

“Messi is the best player in the history of football. He has been the most important player in the history of Barca.

“But, I have to be very careful with what I say, because he is a PSG player, and I have to have respect that.”

Messi is unlikely to make a firm call on his plans until the end of the 2022/23 season, with PSG closing in on a Ligue 1 title defence, amid a potential offer to move to the MLS.