Lionel Messi’s priority is to return to Barcelona, both parties optimistic

As Barcelona’s pursuit of re-signing Lionel Messi gathers pace, Santi Aouna has come up with a fresh report on the Argentine’s future.

The Foot Mercato journalist suggests Messi’s priority is to return to Barcelona after spending almost two years at Paris Saint-Germain. His current contract at Parc des Princes expires at the end of the season.

Messi has objectively enjoyed a better season at PSG this term compared to the last one. But he is not fully on board with the idea of prolonging his career in the French capital. He was even recently booed by the PSG fans – an act that was criticised heavily by footballing legends across the world, including former Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit.

There were reports of discontent between Messi and Joan Laporta, as the Argentine believed that the club president could have done much more to retain his services at Barcelona in 2021.

But the report from Foot Mercato suggests Messi’s family is now looking at a return to Catalonia quite favourably. They are reminiscing about their life in the city and appear to be keen on making the fabled return.

Barcelona, for their part, are working on solutions that will enable them to facilitate the move. They are even open to the craziest economic ideas, including a revenue-sharing formula revolving around the ticket sales at Camp Nou.

Barcelona are also reportedly working with sponsors to help them gain the financial edge before they can put forth an offer for Messi.

Even Messi himself looks determined to leave PSG and nothing can stop him now. Both parties are optimistic about a return to Catalonia, so it will be interesting to see how this saga unfolds over the coming weeks.