"He's a Barca fan" - Joan Laporta makes fresh claim on Lionel Messi's potential Barcelona return
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has given a fresh take on Lionel Messi's potential return to the club.
Messi, 35, continues to be linked with a move back to the Camp Nou, where he became an icon of the game. He scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists in 778 games across competitions.
Laporta has regularly spoken of his willingness to bring the Argentine hero back to Barcelona and has done so again. He told BarcaTV that Messi's heart beats for the Blaugrana as he called the Argentine the greatest player in history:
“Messi is the best player of all time. He’s a Barca fan; his heart beats for Barca. … so the links are normal."
However, Laporta admitted that the Argentine is currently a PSG player but that he'd love for him to return to Barcelona:
"Will Messi return? He’s a PSG player. We’d love to have Leo back here one day — but we will see”.
Lionel Messi: "Barcelona is my life, Barça gave me everything. I've lived here for longer than in Argentina.” https://t.co/3kHxxaK9S4
Laporta's comments come a day after reports suggested that Messi and PSG had agreed on a deal in principle over a one-year contract extension.
The legendary forward is still celebrating the FIFA World Cup triumph with Argentina in his home nation before he returns to club football with PSG. Messi managed seven goals and three assists in seven games at the World Cup in Qatar. He claimed the Golden Ball for his incredible performances.
Barcelona legend Ronaldinho tips Lionel Messi to win 2023 Ballon d'Or
Lionel Messi has finally won the FIFA World Cup, and with that comes the expectation that he will lift the Ballon d'Or for the eighth time next year.
His former Barcelona teammate Ronaldinho reckons Messi could win his eighth Ballon d'Or come next year due to his exploits in the World Cup final. The Argentina captain scored a brace in the 3-3 draw after extra time and also slotted home a penalty in the 4-2 shootout win over France.
Ronaldinho told SDA:
"Because he managed to score two goals in the final and won his first World Cup, I think Messi will win the Ballon d'Or. This will make you go down in history a bit more."
1 - Lionel Messi yesterday became the first ever South American player to score in both a World Cup and European Cup/Champions League final. Greatest. https://t.co/5Ylh6WyhWY
The PSG attacker was not even among the 20-man shortlist for this year's award, with Karim Benzema dethroning him as France Football's Player of the Year.
However, Lionel Messi has been in great form this season, scoring 12 goals and providing 14 assists in 19 appearances for PSG. His performances for Argentina have been inspiring too, leading La Albiceleste to their third World Cup and beating European champions Italy in the Finnalissima.