Lionel Messi's time at Paris Saint-Germain looks to be coming to an end, but there's plenty of doubt over where his future lies.
The Argentinian superstar thrust his legacy into an impenetrable realm at the end of 2022 when he spearheaded Argentina's journey to World Cup glory in Qatar. Messi, who scored seven goals at the tournament and was subsequently named the winner of the Golden Ball, is regarded by the vast majority as the greatest footballer of all-time.
He built his reputation at Barcelona, but the club's financial woes pretty much forced him out of the club in 2021 and he opted to sign for French giants PSG.
Messi's time in the French capital has been productive, but Les Parisiens failed to win a single Champions League knockout tie following the 35-year-old's arrival. With his contract set to expire, Messi's spell in Paris looks to be coming to an end. But could he make a stunning return to Barcelona?
Could Lionel Messi stay at PSG?
90min understands PSG have accepted Messi will depart at the end of the season.
The French club were hopeful that they'd be able to agree to fresh contract terms with the Argentine genius and an agreement was supposedly reached in principal before the World Cup, but it's since become clear that Messi will leave amid interest from elsewhere.
The 35-year-old's relationship with the club has been strained in recent weeks and months, with PSG recently suspending Messi after he missed training because of a trip to Saudi Arabia. The World Cup winner later apologised and explained the confusion, with PSG deciding to cut the player's suspension short.
Will Lionel Messi return to Barcelona?
A return to Barcelona is most certainly on the table, and 90min believes Messi is focused on returning to Catalonia this summer. While his relationship with the club's hierarchy isn't exactly benevolent after what happened in 2021, the Argentine is said to have spoken to former teammate and current Barça boss Xavi over a potential move.
The 35-year-old is synonymous with La Blaugrana and a return would appease romanticists across the globe. Messi appeared for Barcelona 778 times during his all-conquering first spell, scoring 672 times and adding 269 assists. He helped them to ten La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns, all while winning six Ballons d'Or (his seventh came in 2021 at PSG).
Barcelona will try their utmost to bring their greatest-ever player back this summer, but it will not be easy given their financial woes.
Barcelona's financial problems & how they might prevent a Lionel Messi reunion
Barcelona's financial mismanagement has been a huge topic of discussion in recent years, but the club have been able to manage all while continuing to sign big names. While an emphasis has been placed on free agent arrivals, the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Jules Kounde have all joined for large sums since Messi's exit.
Bankruptcy once seemed a genuine possibility under the dreadful leadership of Josep Maria Bartomeu, but Joan Laporta has helped steady the ship since returning to the club as president. Laporta's strategy has primarily involved pulling various financial levers from projected future earnings as a means of stabilising the present.
The club has also sold TV rights, but the crux of Barça's financial stability depends on their performance on the pitch which made their early exit from the Champions League so detrimental.
Despite the club's work, they're still living beyond the means and paying for years of financial mishaps. Previous short-term fixes are coming back to bite them now, and they still owe transfer fees dating back years.
La Liga calculated earlier this year that Barça are €150m away from where they need to be to fulfil their Financial Fair Play regulations over the salary cap. The club has got to find the aforementioned amount from somewhere before they can even think about signing and registering Messi.
If only a European Super League could come and bail them out, eh?
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Lionel Messi's Saudi Arabia offer
Messi has garnered plenty of interest outside of Europe, namely from Inter Miami in MLS and the Saudi Pro League's Al Hilal.
Al Hilal's bid is said to be a whopping €400m-a-season for two years, and reports did emerge suggesting Messi has already agreed to join the Saudi club which would see him duel with Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo once more in the Middle East.
However, Messi's father and agent, Jorge, has labelled these reports as "fake news" adding that a decision over his son's future will not be made until the end of the season. Former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets have also been linked with moves to Al Hilal.
This article was originally published on 90min as Will Lionel Messi return to Barcelona?.