“It would be hard to say no” – Journalist makes interesting claim about Lionel Messi returning to Barcelona in 2023

Journalist Sam Marsden has stated that Lionel Messi could have reason to return to Barcelona once his contract at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) expires. The 34-year-old forward has one year remaining on his contract with the Parisian giants.

Marsden stated that despite leaving the club last season, Messi is still an important figure at Barcelona. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has also proved that he is still capable of performing at the highest level with Argentina. The PSG forward recently scored five goals in a game against Estonia in an international friendly.

The journalist was quoted as saying the following (via ESPN):

"President Joan Laporta has said Messi could come back as a player only if it was for free, which will be the case next summer, so the decision would lie with coach Xavi Hernandez if the player wanted to pull on a Barca shirt again."

He added:

"He still means so much to the club. Plus, he has shown for Argentina, if not yet for Paris Saint-Germain consistently, that he still has that spark others can only dream of. And then there is his relationship with Xavi. If he really wanted to come back, and if his wages were no longer a problem, it would be hard to say no."

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Lionel Messi did not have a great season at PSG after leaving Barcelona

Lionel Messi joined PSG from Barcelona on a free transfer last summer. The 34-year-old forward did not live up to his expectations during his first season in France.

Lionel Messi ended the 2021-22 season with 11 goals and 15 assists in 34 games across all competitions. Only five of those goals were scored in the UEFA Champions League.

The Argentine skipper missed a penalty against Real Madrid in the Round of 16 of the Champions League which ultimately resulted in PSG getting knocked out of the competition.

Lionel Messi, however, did score a fantastic long-range goal against Lens which sealed the Ligue 1 title for PSG.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) winner Angel Di Maria believes Lionel Messi will improve next season upon manager Mauricio Pochettino's departure from the Parc des Princes. dlvr.it/SRmtl4

Barcelona, on the other hand, struggled without Lionel Messi in their team. The Catalan giants exited the UEFA Champions League in the group stage and dropped to the Europa League. They would then get knocked out of the tournament by eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarterfinals.

Barcelona ended the 2021-22 season without a single trophy to their name but have shown promise since the appointment of Xavi Hernandez back in November.