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Barcelona president Joan Laporta has given a fresh verdict on Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Lionel Messi as speculation of a return to Camp Nou continues.
The Argentina international is in the final year of his contract with Les Parisiens. Naturally, a free transfer to Barcelona in the summer of 2023 has been touted, given his emotional ties with the Catalan outfit.
Messi spent 21 years at the club leaving for PSG last year as a free agent due to Barca's inability to accommodate his wages. Laporta has previously claimed that it was his responsibility to ensure Messi's story with Barcelona has a better ending.
Now, Laporta has chosen to play his cards close to his chest and offer a diplomatic response when asked about the Argentine. He was in Arauca, Colombia as part of the club's collaboration with UNHCR ACNUR and Save The Children when he gave an interview to RAC1.
When the topic of Messi came up, Laporte replied (h/t SPORT):
"They [children who interviewed Laporta] also asked me about Messi when they accompanied me on the walks. They told me that I had to make him return to Barça. I told them that he is from Barça, that we have been lucky to have him and that we will see."
"Messi is still identified with Barça. But this brand is very powerful, they know you in remote places. Lewandowski, Pedri, Gavi... They have a lot of strength. But someone like Messi perhaps has even more strength, and it is true that associate him with Barca. I don't want to talk about him because he is part of PSG and I don't want any problem."
Lionel Messi avoiding phone calls aimed at Barcelona reunion - Reports
Spanish outlet SPORT (h/t Mirror) claimed last month that Messi is avoiding phone calls from an associate of Barcelona president Joan Laporta.
The PSG star is reportedly taking his time when it comes to making a decision on his future. He has a contract renewal offer on the table from Les Parisiens.
However, it seems unlikely that the former Barcelona attacker will offer a concrete response about his situation before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Messi has been named in manager Lionel Scaloni's 26-man squad for the tournament.
This could be the 35-year-old's last chance to add the coveted trophy to his silverware cabinet, which is why it makes sense if he wants to fully focus on the World Cup for now.
