Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez was, on Friday, drawn on the prospect of Lionel Messi making the move back to the club over the coming months.
Veteran attacker Messi’s plans beyond the summer have of course long remained unclear, ahead of the expiration of his two-year contract at the Parc ders Pinces.
PSG, for their part, have been working tirelessly to tie Messi down for at least one more season for some time now, as the Argentine continues to prove himself one of world football’s finest, even at the age of 35.
Speculation pointing towards the World Cup winner’s likely exit, though, has remained rampant throughout, with former club Barcelona known to be particularly keen to reunite with Messi over the months ahead.
Lionel Messi during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Paris Saint-Germain and Angers SCO at Parc des Princes on January 11, 2023 in Paris, France. Photo by Christian Liewig/ABACAPRESS.COM (Alamy Stock Photo)
Speaking to the media on Friday, it therefore came as little surprise when the subject of his one-time teammate’s potential comeback was put to Xavi Hernandez once more.
The Barca boss, though, was quick to reiterate that he simply ‘doesn’t know’ if such a transfer is on the cards at present.
“Once we’ve won La Liga, we’ll talk about those topics.”
Xavi: “We don’t know if Messi’s return to Barça is going to happen. We’re focused on Real Betis. Once we’ve won La Liga, we’ll talk about those topics”. 🔵🔴 #FCB
In private, Xavi keeps pushing for Leo to return — he already called Messi many times. pic.twitter.com/uICcAuxWnN
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 28, 2023