Messi Had Agreed To Return To Barcelona But Laporta Halted The Deal – Xavi

Former Barcelona player and manager, Xavi Hernández, has claimed that Lionel Messi was close to making an emotional return to the club after the 2022 World Cup, but the move was ultimately halted by club president Joan Laporta.

Naija News reports that Xavi made the disclosure during an interview with a Spanish media outlet, insisting that the full story surrounding Messi’s potential return to Camp Nou has not been completely told.

According to the former Barcelona manager, discussions had progressed significantly, and the Argentine star had personally indicated his desire to return to the club where he built his legendary career.

Xavi, one of Barcelona’s most iconic former players, explained that initial contacts with Messi were made in January 2023.

He said the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was open and enthusiastic about the possibility of wearing the Blaugrana jersey again.

“The president is not telling the full truth about what happened,” Xavi said, adding that Messi himself had expressed his willingness to rejoin the Catalan giants.

The former coach also disclosed that in March of the same year, Messi personally reached out to him regarding the potential move.

According to Xavi, the Argentine forward offered to speak directly with Laporta to finalise the deal.

“Messi contacted me and said that whenever I considered it appropriate, he would speak personally with Laporta to complete the return,” he said.

During that period, negotiations were ongoing between Laporta and Jorge Messi, the player’s father and agent. The discussions were aimed at finalising the contractual details of the proposed return.

Xavi noted that the process had even received approval from LaLiga, as Barcelona had begun recovering from the financial crisis inherited from the administration of former president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

With financial conditions gradually improving, optimism had grown that Messi could make a sensational return to Camp Nou.

Why Laporta Cancelled Messi Deal

Despite the progress made, Xavi said Laporta eventually cancelled the move.

The former midfielder stressed that the decision had nothing to do with Messi’s willingness to return, nor with financial demands from the player.

According to him, the Argentine legend was not asking for increased wages or special financial terms.

Instead, Xavi suggested that concerns within the president’s inner circle played a decisive role.

“There was a feeling that the club could not afford Messi’s return,” he explained.

He added that some figures around the leadership believed Messi’s influence would be too powerful within the institution and could complicate the management of the dressing room and the club’s sporting project.

Naija News reports that since Messi’s emotional departure from Barcelona in 2021, relations between the two sides have deteriorated significantly.

The Argentine left the club amid financial constraints that prevented Barcelona from renewing his contract, bringing an end to a historic era at Camp Nou.