FC Barcelona’s Vice President, Rafa Yuste, has confirmed that the club has been in contact with Lionel Messi about a possible return to the club this summer. Messi famously left Barcelona in tears in 2021 and signed a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) which expires on June 30. The Argentine has so far been reluctant to take up the option of an additional year at the Parc des Princes.
According to Mundo Deportivo, PSG is willing to offer Messi “more money and more years” than just the additional “plus one”. L’Equipe, on the other hand, reported that Messi currently takes home €3.375 million ($3.7 million) a month from the Ligue 1 giants, which puts him behind teammates Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
During a press conference for the Barca Academy World Cup on Friday, Yuste made comments that will send shockwaves through the football world and confirmed his club’s interest in re-signing Messi. “Leo [Messi] and his family know the affection I have for them. I participated in the negotiations that unfortunately did not lead to a successful conclusion. I have the thorn in my side that Leo could not continue in our club,” Yuste said, reminiscing about Messi’s exit.
“If we are talking about La Masia and grassroots football, we are talking about Messi. Of course, I would love for him to come back, for what it could represent at a sporting, social, and economic level. We are in contact with them, yes,” Yuste confirmed.
It is the first public confirmation of the Catalans working on Messi’s potential return, although it should not come as a surprise that they have been in contact with his camp.
Given Barcelona’s economic woes, they cannot match PSG in terms of salary. However, according to El Nacional, the club will look to offer Messi a €200,000 ($217,600) yearly wage and then the proceeds from his farewell match and merchandise that could bring in between €100-200 million ($108.8-217.6 million).
The prospect of Messi’s return to Barcelona has generated much excitement among fans, and it remains to be seen where the Argentine will end up playing next season.
