Barcelona manager Xavi insists Lionel Messi will always be welcomed back to the club "as long as I'm the coach here" amid his Paris Saint-Germain struggles.
Messi, 34, was forced to leave Barcelona last summer due to the club's financial troubles and signed a two-year deal at PSG. But he's failed to flourish in the French capital, scoring just two goals in 18 Ligue 1 appearances. He managed 30 in La Liga last season.
The Argentine is widely regarded as the greatest player in Barcelona's history. He scored 672 senior goals for the club between 2004 and 2021, winning 10 La Liga titles, seven Spanish Cups, four Champions Leagues and several other honours.
Xavi was appointed Barcelona manager in November, triggering a significant revival in the club's fortunes. The Catalan giants have jumped up to third in La Liga and are tipped to win the Europa League for the first time in their history.
Messi still has 15 months remaining on his existing PSG deal and there is no indication he'll leave the club at this stage. But, considering his poor form and huge wage, the French giants may be willing to cancel his contract and allow him to re-join Barcelona.
"Messi has earned having the doors open to Barca," said Xavi ahead of Sunday evening's El Clasico against Real Madrid. "As long as I'm the coach here, if he wants to come every day to watch training or talk to the coach, what he's given us is priceless.
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"He's the best player in history. He deserves a big tribute from the club. But today he has a contract with PSG, I think he signed for two years."
PSG suffered another disappointing result on Sunday, losing 3-0 to Monaco. Messi missed the game due to illness. Mauricio Pochettino's side are still 13 points clear at the top of Ligue 1, but they've been knocked out of the Champions League and French Cup.
Xavi's quotes come just a few weeks after Barcelona president Joan Laporta insisted he "does not regret" Messi's exit. Xavi's side have missed the veteran's goals this term, as Memphis Depay - their top scorer in all competitions - has scored just 10 goals.
Laporta said: "Messi's departure? It was the hardest decision I made. I didn’t want to make the decision. Messi is the best player in history, but that was our situation. I had to make a big decision about Messi, but I do not regret it.
"No one is above the club. With Messi the reality hit us. There’s nothing else to it. But Barcelona’s history continues, and with hard work and correct decisions we can return to the path of success. That’s what we’re doing."
On leaving Barcelona, an emotional Messi said: "I've been here my entire life, I'm not ready for this. And last year with all the nonsense, I was convinced of what I wanted to say, but this year it is not the same. This year my family and I were convinced we were going to stay here, that is what we all wanted more than anything."
