In a significant revelation, Xavi, the former player and current head coach of FC Barcelona, has disclosed that Lionel Messi was very close to returning to the club in 2023.
During an interview on Romário’s podcast, Xavi expressed his belief that Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, played a crucial role in halting the potential deal. Xavi stated that all parties involved had reached an agreement, and negotiations had been ongoing for five months.
“In 2023, we tried to bring Messi back to Barça. We negotiated for five months, everything was ready… but in the end, the president said ‘no,’ and the deal fell through,” Xavi revealed.
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Messi, who had a storied career at Barcelona from 2004 to 2021, made 778 appearances for the club, scoring 672 goals and providing 303 assists. He joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as a free agent in the summer of 2021.