Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has reportedly stated that he will not return to Barcelona as long as Gerard Pique remains at the club. Messi, 34, departed Barcelona last summer on a free transfer after 16 illustrious seasons at the Nou Camp.
He scored 672 goals in 778 games at the Nou Camp, a club record. Many consider him to be the greatest footballer of all time. Messi, on the other hand, has struggled to find his feet at PSG, scoring seven goals and assisting 11 times in 23 games in all competitions so far. Rumors have begun to circulate that Messi may return to the Catalan giants, with Messi reportedly dissatisfied with the French media's portrayal of him.
According to El Nacional, Messi's return to the club will be contingent on Pique remaining at the Blaugrana. Pique had assured Barca president Joan Laporta that with Messi's departure, the club's finances would improve, according to the Argentinian. Given that the two have known one other since they were 13, the Argentine is claimed to be irritated by the Spaniard telling Laporta such a thing. During the Argentinian's wife's birthday celebrations, evidence of Messi's resentment of Pique grabbed center stage. Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Cesc Fabregas, all former Barcelona teammates, were in attendance. Pique and his wife Shakira, on the other hand, were nowhere to be found. They had previously attended similar events on a regular basis.
Is PSG forward Messi returning to Barcelona?
With a litany of players apparently seeking trades, the rumor mill will be making some bold statements this summer. Messi's PSG colleague Kylian Mbappe, who is interested in joining Real Madrid, is one of them. Any trade that brings Mbappe to the Santiago Bernabau would effectively end any hope of Messi returning to Catalonia. PSG cannot afford to lose Mbappe, let alone both him and Messi, both financially and as a collective on the field.
Despite not reaching the heights that he did at Barcelona before to his transfer, Messi remains a powerful player. This season, he has contributed to Paris Saint-success Germain's in the UEFA Champions League. It will be intriguing to see if any new information on the Messi-Pique fiasco surfaces before the summer.
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