“I’m not aware of all the talk” – Xavi offers interesting reply when asked about Lionel Messi transfer rumors at Barcelona 

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez recently opened up about Lionel Messi potentially making a return to the Catalan club in the summer. The Argentine is currently in the final months of his Paris Saint-Germain contract and is yet to agree on a new deal regarding his extension.

The Argentine has been heavily linked with a return to Camp Nou. Journalist Gerard Romero recently claimed that La Liga's marketing team are working behind the scenes as they already know that Messi will return in the summer.

Xavi, however, provided a pragmatic response when quizzed on the topic. Speaking to the media ahead of Barca's La Liga showdown against Atletico Madrid on April 23, he said (via Barca Universal):

“I’m not aware of all the talk about Messi. What I have to do is work and think about the next game, not next year or transfers. For me, this is not the time to talk about Messi.”

Lionel Messi left Barcelona in 2021 after the Blaugrana were unable to renew his contract due to La Liga's wage cap rules. He scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists in 778 matches for the club.

Messi won four UEFA Champions League trophies, three FIFA Club World Cups, 10 La Liga titles and three UEFA Super Cups. He also won eight Supercopa de Espana trophies and seven Copa del Rey trophies during his illustrious spell.

He then joined Paris Saint-Germain and has since contributed 31 goals and 34 assists in 70 games for the Parisian side.

---

Barcelona defender Jordi Alba spoke about Lionel Messi's potential return

After his 2012 move from Valencia, Jordi Alba managed to form a formidable partnership with Lionel Messi at Barcelona. The pair combined very well on the left flank.

Messi and Alba shared the pitch for 345 matches and combined for 34 goals. They won 16 trophies together at the Catalan club as well. Alba recently spoke about Messi's potential return to Camp Nou. The left-back said (via Barca Blaugranes):

“It is Leo’s decision. Honestly, we haven’t talked about this topic, but it’s clear that in the end, seeing Messi with another shirt other than Barca’s is always weird, In the end, if he wants to and the club wants to, it’s perfect for me. He has been the player with whom I have understood the best on the pitch.”

Seeing Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba link up on the left side of Barcelona's attack would be a dream scenario for the fans. However, Messi's return remains an uncertain prospect as there is nothing concrete about the rumors.