Lionel Messi is excited by Xavi's plans for him if he returns to Barcelona

Lionel Messi's potential return to Barcelona would see him playing in a new position, and the Paris Saint-Germain forward is already on board.

Messi's future is up in the air at the moment, with his contract at PSG set to expire at the end of the season, though there is an option for an extra year.

The club do need to save some money, due to some potential FFP issues, but should Messi wish to remain there, it is likely they'd keep him.

He has other choices on offer to him though, with a move to Saudi Arabia a possibility and Inter Miami reportedly ready to offer him equity in the club to move to the MLS.

There could also be an emotional return to Barcelona, just two years after the club's finances forced him to leave after 18 years at the Nou Camp.

Those financial problems are exactly why any deal for the World Cup winner would still be difficult, and require some interesting negotiations, and they're yet to approach the forward.

Despite that though, Xavi is already making plans for how his team could look with the 35-year-old back with the Catalan giants and has decided to play him in midfield.

It seems that Messi is already on board for the plan as well, with Spanish journalist Guillem Balague telling BBC Sport, "Leo and [Barcelona president Joan] Laporta have not spoken but obviously Barcelona keep pushing the idea that yes, they are going to go for it.

"The main engine is manager Xavi who speaks very regularly to Messi and quite clearly paints him a picture of a team that needs his quality.

"Xavi tells Messi he will be used as one of the two midfielders in front of the holding one, very close to what he does with Argentina. Xavi has thought of different ways for that to work and every time Leo hears about this, his eyes light up."

Messi and Xavi could be reunited as player and manager. Image: Alamy

It's no surprise that Messi is on board to perform a similar role to the one he has for his national team, considering his recent success with it.

The superstar ended up winning the Golden Ball at the World Cup in December, for being the tournament's best player, as well as winning the whole thing for the first time.

There certainly seems an appetite from the crowd inside the Nou Camp to see their hero return, as they chanted his name during their Clasico defeat to Real Madrid in midweek.

Whether or not they can actually afford to bring him back remains to be seen, and he could stay in Paris for one more crack at the Champions League with PSG.