BARCELONA have made contact with Lionel Messi’s camp over a free transfer this summer.
The Argentina legend left the Nou Camp in the summer of 2021 after his contract expired.
But his Paris Saint-Germain contract runs out at the end of the season and he could be available on a free transfer.
Reports claimed he had verbally agreed a new deal with the French giants but a contract is yet to come to fruition.
That has opened the door for Barca to make their move, and according to vice president Rafa Yuste the club has already taken steps to re-sign Messi.
He said: “We’ve been in contact with Leo Messi’s camp. Leo knows how much we appreciate him and I’d love for him to come back.
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“For sure Messi loves Barça and the city, so we hope to find the right conditions to continue his history here.”
Manager Xavi revealed last month that the club are in “permanent contact” with the 35-year-old, hinting a return could be on the cards.
He said: “Messi knows that Barcelona is his home and the doors are open, I said this many times.
“He’s my friend — we are in permanent contact, a potential return will only depend on him. Leo is the best player in history, he’d always fit in.”
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It is believed Xavi could help persuade Messi back to the Nou Camp having previously played alongside him for Barcelona.
President Joan Laporta is also determined to land the superstar and reportedly met with his father and agent Jorge recently.
Speaking last summer, Laporta said: “I don’t believe Messi’s chapter at Barcelona is over.
“And I believe it is our responsibility to make sure that chapter is still open, that it hasn’t closed.
“To have a moment to do it how it should have been done so that he may have a much more splendid ending than what he had.
“If I feel like I owe him one? Yes.
“Morally, as the president of Barcelona, I think I did what needed to be done. But also as Barcelona’s president, and personally, I believe I owe him one.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
