Lionel Messi talks failed Barcelona summer move, rules out loan return: “No chance”

Former Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has admitted that he could have returned to Barcelona this past summer and while he did think about the move and his eventual retirement in Catalonia, the move just did not materialize.

Messi devoted a remarkable 21 years of his illustrious career to Barcelona, a journey that commenced during his formative years in the academy, culminating with his debut as a first-team player in 2004.

Over the decades that followed, he became an adored and iconic figure among the passionate Catalonian supporters.

However, this fairytale did not have a happy ending as in 2021, an unexpected moment forced Messi and Barcelona to part ways in the face of financial hardships.

No means no, Messi is not coming back

Following the 2022/23 season, Messi was heavily linked with a move back to Barcelona and although the team from Catalonia did try to make it happen, the Argentina captain decided to call time on his European tenure, joining Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.

While speaking to L’Equipe, the record Ballon d’Or winner talked about his failed move during the summer, saying,

“I could have returned to Barcelona but it did not happen. It was similar to me having to leave in 2021. I thought about Barça return, my life there, retiring there as I always wanted but… it was not possible,” he explained.

Meanwhile, he also revealed that apart from Barcelona, he had several other offers on the table, but he decided to move to Inter Miami.

“I had many offers on the table this year… including multiple European clubs and Saudi Arabia. We decided to come to Miami and it is a decision we are happy with, we feel good,” he said.

Over the past few months, reports of a potential loan move to Barcelona in January have been doing rounds since the MLS season is not starting anytime before February 2024. 

However, when asked about this temporary move, the veteran forward simply denied the rumours, saying, “No, no chance. Not at all.”

The brief response from the former captain emphasizes that Messi has reconciled with Barcelona and while he does want to return to Spain, he wants to do so just to spend some time and not as a player.