Barcelona president has vowed to stop talking about the future of Lionel Messi as he believes this would be in “bad taste” due to his contract at Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year contract a year ago from Barcelona as a free agent. He is out of contract at the end of the season and the superstar has been refusing to answer phone calls made on behalf of a negotiator close to Laporta.
Meanwhile, the Barca president had planned to meet with his former star player during his visit to the Ballon d'Or awards in Paris last month, but such attempts were unsuccessful . Messi has now reportedly agreed a deal to join MLS club Inter Miami at the end of the current season.
The Barca president has not stopped talking up the possibility of a sensational return for Messi to the Camp Nou, telling Sport earlier this month: "Leo knows that at Barca he always has his home.
"But let me not talk about Leo because he is a player for another team and we would enter again into a series of statements and counter-statements that would not benefit us at all. He has a valid contract with a European club. I can only say that Leo has been the best player in the history of Barca."
However, Laporta appears to now have had a change in heart in terms of discussing Messi with a commitment to stop discussing his future while he remains at PSG. This is despite the Barca supremo regularly speaking of his ambition that the Argentine superstar would one day return to the Camp Nou.
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"Leo is a player who will always be present at Barcelona," Laporta said on Monday, in quotes carried by Marca. "Barça is his home. I won't comment on any more topics related to him because he has a contract with PSG and talking about him would be bad taste. I won't go into any more topics on him."
Messi is currently focused on Argentina and the World Cup. The forward helped secure victory for Lionel Scaloni’s side against a passive Mexico on Saturday evening as Argentina bounced back from their shock opening-match loss against Saudi Arabia.
Argentina secured the victory late on as substitute Fernandez scored from a Messi assist to further alleviate the pressure, but it will return as Scaloni’s side conclude their group-stage campaign against Poland – and they will likely need a win to seal qualification for the round of 16.
