Barcelona economic vice president Eduard Romeu has confirmed that the club intend to try and bring Lionel Messi back to Camp Nou next summer.
Messi left Barcelona for PSG on a shock Free Transfer last summer after he was unable to sign a new contract with the Blaugrana.
His contract at Parc des Princes expires at the end of the current season and, although PSG would like to renew it, he is yet to agree on a new deal.
Messi has been repeatedly linked with a return to Barcelona in recent months and both president Joan Laporta and manager Xavi have admitted they would like the Argentine to come back.
This possibility has now been given further fuel after Romeu admitted that Barcelona would not only like to re-sign Messi, but they will also be able to afford to do so.
What did Romeu say about Messi?
“It would be on a free transfer, so yes,” Romeu said, according to Mundo Deportivo. “We would have no problem registering players in 2023.
“But it would be a technical decision, anyway. There is a salary margin, we made an effort this summer and if any signing is needed in January], we will analyse.”
Messi broke virtually every record during over 20 years at Camp Nou, scoring an incredible 672 goals in 778 games.
He also won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League, in addition to numerous other individual and team honours.
But Barcelona were unable to sign him to a new deal in the summer of 2021 – mainly for financial reasons – leading to an infamous farewell press conference in which Messi broke down and cried.
Messi endured a difficult first season in Paris, scoring just four Ligue 1 goals all campaign and performing poorly as PSG were dumped out of the Champions League – capitulating from 2-0 up on aggregate to lose 3-2 to Real Madrid in the last-16.
However, he has been in fine form so far this campaign, already registering six goals and eight assists.
