History, however, could be reversed next summer. The president has never hidden, behind closed doors, the desire for Leo Messi to return. In the economic area, they know that the return of the Argentine star would mean a beastly boost. And also Leo Messi, who until now had stayed out of it all, sees with good eyes the option of returning, taking advantage of the fact that his contract with Paris Saint-Germain ends in the summer of 2023. Now, although there is will between the parties, for Messi to return to the Camp Nou, all the stars will have to align.
The economic and commercial area now wants Messi to return
Ferran Reverter, former CEO of the club, was one of those who rowed against Messi’s renewal. “Not for sporting criteria, but purely economic”, they warn from the economic area. But now Reverter is not there and Laporta, as has already happened in this transfer market, has much more room to do and undo. “Economically it is possible, because it would come for free,” says Eduard Romeu, economic vice president, and one of the people who once also advised Laporta to back out of the agreement with CVC. At a contractual level, Barça only owes Messi the salary deferrals for the two seasons of the pandemic, money that will have to be paid regardless of whether or not he returns to the Camp Nou.
For the economic and commercial area, the Argentine’s return would mean “a beastly boost” at all levels. “It’s not the same to sell when you have Messi, as to do it without him”, they point out. The club has been strengthened this summer with top-line names, such as that of Lewandowski, a footballer who has also had a very powerful impact on sales – they even ran out of Ws in the shops where they print T-shirts – . However, “there is nothing comparable to Messi”. A player who, just by his presence, justifies that fans from all over the world are willing to buy a ticket to go to Camp Nou. The problem – and this is one of the pitfalls – is that Messi would not return to play in the Blaugrana stadium, since Barça will play next season in Montjuïc, temporarily, while the Espai Barça is being built. In any case, a hypothetical arrival would also help to compensate for the drop in income that, in terms of ticketing and subscribers, it will take place in the Olympic stadium.
Barça will leave Messi’s return in the hands of Xavi
Until now the relationship between Barça and the Messis – both the player and his father, Jorge – had been null. The club admitted that no approach had been taken. And no longer thinking about a return, but only to organize a tribute match. Little by little the bridges are starting to be rebuilt. According to ARA, the footballer himself has probed Xavi before his hypothetical arrival. According to sources in the dressing room, the coach is honored by the footballer’s interest. However, the same sources also point out that the Egaren coach will have to make the decision, since Messi’s arrival would be short-term in an entity that is rebuilding the team with the future in mind.
In this story, however, Jorge Messi also has a lot to say. The relationship between Barça and the footballer’s father continues to deteriorate. His role will be key for Messi to decide his future. The player was initially set to leave in 2023 for the US MLS, although plans will change depending on the offers on the table. Beyond Barça’s interest, it has also transpired that PSG will try to retain the player and will soon present him with a renewal offer.
Leo Messi, who landed in Paris a year ago, did not have a good start with PSG, where he was criticized for not having similar effectiveness figures to those of Barcelona. On the other hand, this season the Argentine is in shape and is one of the offensive references of the French champion. Those around him say that Messi is “totally focused” on the World Cup in Qatar, the last one he will play. And that the decision, whatever it is, will not be made until after this appointment. At the same time, Rosario’s wags its tail and allows itself to be loved. Nothing is impossible. As Eduard Romeu said: “At Barça we know how to work miracles”.
