Speaking at a media appearance earlier today, Barcelona vice-president Rafa Yuste has claimed that the club are in contact with Lionel Messi and he would love if the PSG superstar returned to Catalonia in the summer.
Messi left Barcelona in the summer of 2021 after the club failed to renew his contract. He signed for PSG on a two-year deal that will expire at the end of the ongoing season
While Les Parisiens are ready to do everything in their power to renew his contract, rumours of Messi returning to Barcelona have been gaining weight in recent weeks.
Several Barça players have already commented on the matter, stating that they will welcome the Argentine with open arms. Manager Xavi Hernandez has also given his thoughts on the potential return of his ex-teammate, while president Joan Laporta has also stated that the doors are always open for him.
Now, Rafa Yuste has gone one step further and confirmed that there have been contacts between Barça and Messi’s camp while adding that a return in the summer would please him a lot.
“We’ve been in contact with Leo Messi’s camp. Leo knows how much we appreciate him and I’d love for him to come back. For sure Messi loves Barça and the city, so we hope to find the right conditions to continue his history here,” he said (h/t Fabrizio Romano).
This is another major step in solidifying Barcelona’s intentions to re-sign Messi in the summer. While nothing is decided yet, the fact that players and high-ranking club officials are talking about the matter in an open manner is a strong indicator that they believe a deal could be possible.
Only time will tell whether Messi ends up making a grand return to Barcelona in the summer. What appears to be clear is that the club are slowly starting to lay the groundwork for the operation.