As many as 5 reasons Lionel Messi will return to Barcelona in the summer of 2023 will be discussed in this article. One of them, La Pulga (nicknamed Lionel Messi) is said to still be in love with Barcelona!
Yes, Lionel Messi’s contract saga is an interesting thing for world football lovers. It is known that his tenure at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will expire at the end of the 2022-2023 season.
Until now, Messi has not stated that he will extend his contract at PSG. Instead of staying longer in Paris, Messi is said to want to return to Barcelona. So, what is the reason Lionel Messi will return to Barcelona?
Here are 5 reasons Lionel Messi will return to Barcelona in the summer of 2023:
- Supported by Compatriots
Lionel Messi’s appearance at PSG so far has been under the scrutiny of La Pulga’s compatriots. Yes, the country partner in question is Sergio Aguero.
The former Manchester City striker said that Lionel Messi’s love is actually in Barcelona. He also fully supports if the owner of seven Ballon d’Or trophies returns to Catalan someday.
“Two years in Paris is enough for Leo (Messi). Come back to Barcelona or wherever you want, as long as it’s not here (PSG),” said Segio Aguero quoted from Soha VN.
- Seriousness of Joan Laporta Returning Lionel Messi
Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, is also said to be serious about repatriating the star to Camp Nou. It was reported that Joan Laporta had met Lionel Messi’s father to discuss La Pulga’s return.
The news was reinforced by the words of journalist from Spain, Gerard Romero. He said the process of returning Lionel Messi was 60 percent.
“Reliable journalists claim there is a 60 per cent chance that PSG star Lionel Messi will return to Barcelona,” said Gerard Romero, as quoted by Sportskeeda.
- Competition with Kylian Mbappe
In addition to the rumors above, it is believed that Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe’s competition at PSG also makes it believed that La Pulga will return to Camp Nou. How could it not be, so far Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have always been compared on all fronts.
If you look at the statistics for this season, Lionel Messi is still far behind Kylian Mbappe. Quoted from Transfermarkt, Mbappe has scored 31 goals and four assists in 33 matches. Meanwhile, Messi has only scored 18 goals in 32 matches.
- Don’t feel at home at PSG
Not only about competition, Lionel Messi also seemed uncomfortable at PSG. The reason is that PSG fans often mock him when he is not performing optimally.
That happened when PSG met Rennes on Monday 20 March 2023. At that time, Lionel Messi, who walked off the field, received booed from PSG fans after Les Parisiens (PSG’s nickname) were beaten 0-2 by Rennes.
- Still in love with Barcelona
Lionel Messi’s departure from Barcelona to PSG in 2021 was very surprising, and was also regretted by the public. How could it not be, Messi has been at Barcelona for at least two decades.
Of course this raises several views, that actually Messi still loves the Catalan club. Moreover, Messi has won many titles while in Barcelona uniform.
In fact, a journalist from Morocco, Achraf Ben Ayad, on his Twitter, assessed that Messi is happier at Barcelona than PSG. Because of that, Messi is allegedly going to return to Barcelona later.
“Barcelona is an option for Leo Messi. He loves the club (Barcelona),” tweeted journalist from Morocco, Achraf Ben Ayad.
