The Spanish La Liga has given its nod to FC Barcelona’s viability plan to bring Lionel Messi back to the club, according a report by Relevo.
Relevo Journalist Toni Juanmart took to Twitter to share an exclusive video of the player’s father and agent Jorge Messi meeting Barcelona president Joan Laporta at his home shortly after the publication of the report.
Jorge Messi also confirmed the desire of his to return back to the Blaugrana after the meeting. Messi becomes a free agent on June 30 after his two-year contract at French club Paris Saint-Germain ends. On Saturday Lionel Messi announced his departure before the Ligue 1 giants confirmed it in an official statement.
Relevo had reported that a Saudi delegation had traveled to the French capital to try and persuade him to transfer to Al-Hilal after Messi played his final game at the Parc des Princes that evening in a match that ended in a shock 3-2 loss to Clermont Foot where Messi was booed by the fans for missing an opportunity to score from close range.
Relevo also reported that FC Barcelona was the preferred club for the Argentine World Cup winner amid Footmercato’s report that Messi’s camp had accepted a two-year deal worth €1.2 billion to continue in the Middle East.
The Catalans had threatened to derail a potential return to Catalonia after experiencing delays in their bid to get the green light from La Liga on a viability plan to convince the league that Barcelona is capable to pull of the coup economically.
However, the league has given its thumbs up to the plan which means a second stint at his boyhood club is not out of the questions for Lionel Messi which prompted the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s father to meet Laporta at his home today.
Jorge Messi also confirmed following the meeting about his son’s wish to don the iconic number ‘10’ shirt again. SPORT reported quoting him as saying, “Messi wants to return to Barca and I would love him to return.”
"It is an option. Do I trust that he can return? Yes."
Meanwhile, player sales will still be required to facilitate Messi’s Barcelona reunion and Barca will be able to invest 40 per cent of what they save through players that have left no longer play, plus 20 per cent of what they have made from transfers. Messi is expected to make a decision on his future this week as indicated by Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez.
On the other hand, sources at Al-Hilal were quoted by SPORT as saying that they wanted to announce Messi’s arrival on June 6, but Messi might not make the big money move to Saudi Arabia which would make him top the list of Forbes’ list of World’s Highest-Paid Athletes.
Messi had finished second to rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the most recent edition of the list after CR7’s move to the Saudi side Al-Nassr. SPORT reported that Messi is expected to make €25 million a season in Barcelona on a two-year contract.
If he is to sign for Barcelona, Messi will be in line to show up for the side in their pre-season El Clasico encounter against Real Madrid in the United States.
