Former Barcelona midfielder and head coach Xavi Hernández has revealed how Lionel Messi was close to returning to the club in 2023 before suggesting that club president Joan Laporta “doesn’t tell the truth” about how close a deal was from happening.
Xavi, Messi and Andrés Iniesta formed a pivotal part of the iconic Barcelona teams that secured four Champions League crowns between 2006 and 2015, with the Argentine becoming arguably the greatest player of all time with the help of the two Spanish midfielders.
After a lengthy period of sustained success, Xavi was the first to leave Barça after the 2015 Champions League triumph, with the former Spain international joining Qatari side Al Sadd.
Three years later, Iniesta left for Japan’s Vissel Kobe before shockingly Messi left the club in 2021 when Barça could not afford to extend his contract, before the 2022 World Cup winner joined Paris Saint-Germain.
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Fast forward two years to 2023, and Xavi was Barça’s head coach while Messi was seeking the next step of his career after a mixed period at PSG.
And according to Xavi, Barça were close to re-signing the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner in the winter of 2023, with the 46-year-old suggesting that Messi was “excited” by the idea.
In a recent interview with La Vanguardia, the former playmaker accused club president Laporta of not telling the truth.
“Laporta doesn’t tell the truth there either. Leo was signed,” Xavi explained.
“In January 2023, after becoming world champion, we contacted and he tells me that he is excited to return and I see him.
“Laporta begun negotiating the contract with Leo’s father and we had the green light from La Liga, but it is the president who backed out on everything.
“Laporta told me that if Leo came back, there would be a wage war and he couldn’t afford that. And then suddenly Leo stopped picking up the phone because on the other hand they had told him that it could not be done.
“My interest is to tell the truth, which is that Messi is never returning to Barcelona simply because Laporta doesn’t want that – it’s not because of La Liga or Jorge Messi asking for money, that’s all a lie.”
Laporta had previously claimed that he was “willing to fix anything” between Barça and Messi, as well as saying that he hoped the pair would be “meeting again someday”.
Ultimately, Messi’s proposed return fell through and he later went on to join MLS side Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, where he has since helped the American team win the Leagues Cup, Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup.
Topics: Lionel Messi, Barcelona, Joan Laporta, Football, La Liga, Inter Miami
Luke Davies