Barcelona building new team and not considering Messi's return, says Laporta

Barcelona President Joan Laporta has ruled out the possibility of legendary striker Lionel Messi returning to the Camp Nou in the summer.

Image Credit: Getty Images

Amidst rumours of legendary Argentine Lionel Messi's likely return to Barcelona, the club's president Joan Laporta has now ruled out the possibility of the Paris Saint-Germain striker's return to Camp Nou in the summer. Speculations were rife that the 34-year-old could make a comeback after spending only a year in the French capital, with Xavi Hernandez's statement that the club's doors are always open for Messi to add more fuel to the fire.

Putting these speculations to rest, Laporta has now said that it is not something Barcelona are currently thinking about because their focus is on building a new team altogether.

"I've received no message from Messi or his camp over a possibility of returning to Barcelona. As of today, we are not going to be raising this issue," the Barcelona president told RAC1.

"I no longer have fluid communication with Messi like I did before he left. His departure almost made me feel worse for personal and family reasons rather than just strictly sporting ones," Laporta added.

"We're not considering [Messi's return]. We are building a new team with a mix of young players and experience - the symbiosis is working. But Leo is Leo, and he'll always be a winner," he stated.

"For me, it sure wasn't easy [for him to go], but, as it happened, I thought about the club [finances], I couldn't put it at more risk. I think we did what we had to do," the Barca president concluded.

After having spent his entire career at Barcelona, the Argentine joined the French giants as a free agent in the summer of 2021. Messi is earning close to 35 million euros per season at PSG but has failed to meet the expectations of the fans and teammates at the club.

So far, the Argentine has managed only two goals in 18 Ligue 1 appearances for PSG. However, he has been their leading assist provider with ten assists to his name.