A year ago
Barcelona appear to be determined to make a deal to bring back Lionel Messi work, no matter how many headaches it causes them this summer. According to El Chiringuito (via Diario AS), officials of both La Liga and Barcelona ate together in Madrid as they discussed a potential way of bringing the Argentine back to Spain.
Director of Football Mateu Alemany and Treasurer Ferran Olive met with Corporate General Director Javier Gomez and General Executive Director Oscar Mayo from La Liga in order to discuss the matter in a restaurant in Madrid. The four of them spent an hour and fifteen minutes together, with the two La Liga representatives leaving thereafter. Alemany and Olive remained in the restaurant for a further two hours to make calculations.
Alemany called it ‘an informal meeting’ on his way out of the restaurant. The Mallorqui native is in charge of negotiations and making the numbers work at Barcelona – his work will be crucial again this summer. It is his job to present the viability plan to La Liga which will open the door to further signings should it be accepted.
There appears to have been a softening of stances between La Liga and Barcelona in recent weeks, with President Javier Tebas stating that he would love to see Messi return. Alemany would later tell the press that despite Messi spending several days in Barcelona over last weekend, the club had not been in contact with him
Barcelona have declared their desire to bring back Lionel Messi this summer, but they are not yet in a position to negotiate with him. Sporting Director Mateu Alemany has confirmed that Barcelona did not speak with the Argentine on his recent visit to the city.
Messi is out of contract this summer, and thus free to negotiate with any club he wishes. He recently spent several days in the city back in his home in Castelldelfels with his family, where he was seen taking a number of suitcases from Paris back to his house in Catalonia. He also had dinner with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, with manager Xavi Hernandez joking that he turned up for the desserts.
Speaking ahead of the Barcelona’s defeat to Rayo Vallecano, Director of Football Mateu Alemany revealed that there had been no contact with him. Sport carried his words from Movistar+.
“He really likes to come and he was in Barcelona for a few days as usual, but there was no contact with him.”
His current club Paris Saint-Germain expect him to leave this summer. Messi has not publicly spoken to his plans this summer, but with negotiations in France on hold, there is growing optimism in Barcelona that by hook or by crook, he will be wearing Blaugran a next season
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