22 February 2023 , 22:13
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Lionel Messi's dad has met with Barcelona chiefs to discuss his son's future - but it remains unclear whether the World Cup winner will return to Spain.
The Argentina international, 35, is out of contract in the summer. It is believed he is open to leaving Paris Saint-Germain and several clubs are interested in signing him, including former side Barcelona and David Beckham's Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami.
"I don’t think Leo will play for Barcelona again," Messi's dad Jorge, who is involved in his son's career, recently told reporters in Spain. Yet it appears Barcelona president Joan Laporta is not giving up on the idea of re-signing his club's greatest ever player despite that declaration.
According to Catalunya Radio, Jorge had a meeting with Laporta earlier this month. It is believed the meeting went well and further talks may take place, although there is still a long way to go before Messi's future is resolved.
Laporta allegedly did not want the details of the meeting to be made public, as the Barcelona president does not want to raise expectations among fans. Most Barcelona supporters would love to see Messi make an emotional return to the Camp Nou.
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Laporta admitted Barcelona "would very much love" Messi to re-join the club in the future. He told reporters last December: "On the subject of Messi, we can’t generate expectations. Messi is a PSG player and has a contract with them.
Joan Laporta would love to bring Lionel Messi back to Barcelona (Adria Puig/Getty Images)Do you think Lionel Messi will re-join Barcelona one day? Let us know in the comments below!
"He has won the World Cup and the Cules [Barcelona fans] have been very happy. What I don’t want to do is generate expectations that at the moment are very difficult.
"For us he is the best player of all time, we have had him here and I am convinced that in his heart he is a Cule and will always be linked to Barca. Whether or not he comes back as a player, at the moment he is at PSG and we would very much love him to come back one day, but we’ll see."
Messi spent 21 years at Barcelona before joining PSG in the summer of 2021. He won 34 trophies at the Camp Nou - including 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions Leagues - and scored a club-record 672 goals. His achievements at Barcelona are unlikely to be eclipsed.
PSG are still keen to agree a contract extension with Messi, who has plenty of options on the table. Both PSG and Barcelona can offer the superstar the chance to play in the Champions League, but it unclear whether he wants to continue his career in Europe.
There is little left for Messi to achieve in European football. He has previously admitted a desire to play in the MLS and owns an apartment in Miami. An emotional return to Argentina - perhaps to boyhood club Newell's Old Boys - is also a possibility.
Another option is a move to Saudi Arabia. Messi is an ambassador for the Arab country and his long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in January. The Saudis club could offer the veteran forward a huge amount of money to grace their emerging league.