Former Barcelona midfielder claims Messi will return to the club

Ever since Lionel Messi left Barcelona in the summer of last year for PSG, rumblings of a potential return to Camp Nou in the near future have been doing the rounds.

The 34-year-old has made a slow start to life in France and has looked a tad below his best level so far, which has only served to add to the speculations. The return of former teammate and close friend Xavi Hernandez as the manager is another aspect that has sparked the rumours.

Now, another of his former Barcelona teammate and friend, Cesc Fabregas, has claimed that a comeback to Camp Nou for the Argentine superstar is very much within the realm of possibility. Speaking in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, the Spanish midfielder said:

“Barcelona is everything to Messi. His time now in Paris is a passing phase, but he will return one day. He is grateful to the club of his life.”

Fabregas also spoke about Messi’s difficult phase at PSG and the criticism that he has drawn from the media in France, especially after his penalty miss in the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid earlier this week.

“I remember the first year of Luis Enrique in which he was criticized a lot. A crisis of all that was made. Then Barça won the treble. Now something similar can happen. 

“I understand that programs have to be sold, but we are talking about a player who can leave you portrayed in a second. With Messi you always have to be careful, just in case. He has rope for a while.”

In 21 appearances for PSG, Messi has scored seven goals and set up eight more for his teammates. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is contracted with the Parisian outfit until the summer of 2023, although there is an option of extending it by another year.