Lionel Messi revealed the Premier League club that Barcelona 'hated' more than Real Madrid as he has been tipped to sign for their rivals.
Messi enjoyed a legendary spell with Barca before signing for Paris Saint-Germain in a blockbuster free transfer.
He ended his time in Europe by joining MLS outfit Inter Miami, with his existing contract running until the end of 2025.
Messi has been backed to move to Arsenal as talkSPORT host Andy Goldstein believes the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner would solve the club's issues up front.
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If he signed for Arsenal, then he'd renew hostilities with Chelsea, having played against the West London outfit on several occasions in the Champions League.
Barca and Chelsea have been involved in plenty of high-profile clashes over the years, including their explosive 2005 meeting.
Chelsea produced a famous 4-2 victory over Frank Rijkaard's Barca to beat their Spanish counterparts 5-4 on aggregate to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals.
A year later, the two teams were paired against each other at the last-16 stage and Messi claimed some Barca players 'hated' the Premier League side more than Real.
"There are players here who hate Chelsea more than Real Madrid. I never thought I would hear myself say that," he told the News of the World via Sky Sports.
"I also never thought I would see something worse than the Boca and River Plate rivalry or Brazil vs Argentina. But this is.
"We would rather play Arsenal, Manchester United or anyone else than be on the pitch with Chelsea."
Barca exacted revenge as Messi delivered a stunning performance in the second-leg as they pulled off a memorable 2-1 comeback win after going behind.
Rijkaard's side went onto win the Champions League after coming from behind again to beat Arsenal 2-1 in Paris.
Messi, however, missed the final due to an injury that he sustained in his side's win at Stamford Bridge.
Topics: Lionel Messi, Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona, Football, Real Madrid
Nasir Jabbar