Barcelona may have left it "too late" to mastermind a Camp Nou return for Lionel Messi.
That's according to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, who reckons a Catalan homecoming for the Argentine superstar has slipped away. Messi has been touted for a grand Barca comeback almost from the moment he departed for Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021. Financial woes left the La Liga giants unable to extend the 35-year-old's contract and he bid farewell in a tearful press conference before heading for the French capital
Messi's first season with PSG was rated underwhelming and although he's hit something like top form in the run-up to the Qatar World Cup, it could well be his last season with the Parisiens. The legendary forward's contract expires at the end of the season and The Athletic reported earlier this week that MLS outfit Inter Miami - part owned by David Beckham - were growing increasingly confident they would be able to lure Messi across the Atlantic in a stunning coup for the US game. At things stand, Balague believes a contract renewal at PSG or the wildcard move to Miami are more likely than a second spell with Barcelona, despite president Joan Laporta's burning desire to bring the club's greatest ever player back for one final hurrah.
Speaking to ARA, Balague said: “Barça let Messi slip away too quickly and we saw that the departure affected the entity's income and sporting trajectory. The sponsors have been lost and the team will play in the Europa League two years in a row.
"Today, we talk too lightly about the return of Messi, without a commercial or sporting plan behind it, and always when things go wrong. If they want Leo back, now is the time to negotiate.
"These things are done six months in advance and I know that, on their part, the refusal does not exist. If they really want it back, it's too late. Because PSG have the renewal ready and Inter Miami have been working for some time to sign him”.
