Barca boss Xavi Hernandez has spoken up regarding the speculations surrounding the rumored return of his former teammate Lionel Messi from the Parc des Princes.
Enthusiastically reacting to claims linking Lionel Messi with a return to Barcelona ahead of Sunday’s El Clasico, the 42-year-old coach gleefully left the door open for the return of Barca’s greatest-ever player, further fueling reports that the 34-year-old superstar could be on his way out of Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
La Liga president Javier Tebas recently hinted that he would love to see Lionel Messi return to the league after the Argentina superstar shocked the world last summer by leaving Barcelona for PSG after his side failed to meet La Liga’s financial requirements.
However, to date, Messi has had some difficulty adjusting to life in France, scoring just seven goals in 26 appearances. His predicament was further exacerbated when the celebrated striker recently came under intensified scrutiny following PSG’s elimination from the Champions League by Real Madrid, resulting in numerous reports recently purportedly claiming that La Pulgar is miserable in the Parisian capital club and could leave at the end of the season with a return to Barcelona rumored to be on his mind.
Ahead of Sunday’s El Clasiso, Xavi was queried on the subject of Messi’s potential return and the Barcelona boss was quick off the cuff to admit that he would love to be reunited with his former teammate. Speaking to the press, he said:
“He is the best in history and he’ll always be welcome at Barcelona.
“As long as I’m coach, it doesn’t matter if he wants to come here every day. I think we owe him a huge amount.
“He has a contract with PSG and there is little we can say. Like whether he wants to come here every day to watch the training sessions and talk to the coach. What he has given us is priceless.”