Why did Lionel Messi leave Barcelona and could he return? Argentina superstar linked with sensational reunion as PSG exit confirmed

Lionel Messi’s exit from Barcelona was one of the most stunning transfers of all time, and now he’s been linked with a return.

The 35-year-old’s time with Paris Saint-Germain is over after manager Christophe Galtier confirmed his departure.

The announcement followed the Argentine superstar’s flight to Saudi Arabia for an unauthorized two-day trip and his club were furious.

Messi was then booed on his return by PSG fans and his future is far away in France.

A return to Barcelona is now on the cards.

Why did Messi leave Barcelona?

Messi made his Barcelona debut in October 2006 and made 778 appearances for the club before his departure in 2021.

The striker has scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists, and has won the Champions League four times.

Unfortunately Barca as a club and team declined, but Messi got better and better, and it looked like he would be there until the end of his career in Europe before returning to Argentina or relocating. heading to the Middle East.

The origins of Messi’s departure began in 2020 when the player decided he wanted to leave because of what he perceived as board incompetence.

5

Under Josep Maria Bartomeu, the Catalan giants faded as a major force in football and Messi tried to push through a move to Manchester City.

He informed the board of his decision and wanted to leave due to a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave for free at the end of each season.

Barcelona claimed Messi missed the deadline and threatened legal action.

And because he loved Barca, Messi refused to take the club to court.

In a 2020 interview, Messi said: “I would never go to court against Barcelona.

“I told the club I wanted to go. I had been telling him that all year.

“The club needed new, younger players and my time was over.”

5

Things got better as the 2020/21 season progressed and Bartomeu was replaced as club president by Joan Laporta.

However, the La Liga giants were now in serious financial trouble due to COVID and their incredible wage bill.

The club is also not owned by a nation state or a collection of billionaires, and much of their funding comes from sponsorship deals.

But by the time Messi’s contract was extended, the Argentine had a change of heart and was ready to commit to the club.

He even took a 50% pay cut to ensure he could be signed up for LaLiga for the next campaign.

The deal was supposed to be simple, but La Liga’s strict Financial Fair Play rules ended Messi’s career at Barca.

5

Every club in Spain has a spending cap that goes up and down depending on the level of debt.

And after Barcelona recorded losses of €487m for the 2020/21 season, their spending cap fell from over €600m to less than €100m.

Messi couldn’t even accept lowering his salary further or playing for free as La Liga rules prevent him from stopping fraud and exploitation.

Therefore, Messi had no choice but to leave the club he loved.

The iconic striker spoke at a press conference following the announcement of his departure and said: “Honestly, when the election was [in March]I spoke with Laporta, we had dinner, and after that I was convinced that I would stay.

“My contract was never the problem… What I know is that I did everything I could. The club said it couldn’t happen because of La Liga.

“I can guarantee you that I did everything to stay. Last year I didn’t want to and I said it, but this year it was different.”

And with that, he joined PSG on a two-year deal.

5

Could Messi return to Barcelona?

Barcelona believe it’s now possible to bring the Argentine back to Catalonia this summer.

Messi never wanted to leave in the first place and was ready to take a massive pay cut.

The club and Messi’s people have started talks, although initial reports suggest the club are offering £22m a year.

Barca are still struggling financially so they need to get creative when it comes to finding solutions to sign Messi.

One idea is to pay Messi 200,000 euros a year plus the entire proceeds from his farewell match, which is expected to be 100 million euros.

Another idea is to pay the Argentine a low base salary but topped up with a percentage of Barcelona’s income while Messi is back at the club.

And another solution involves Inter Miami and David Beckham.

The MLS club are preparing to offer Messi a four-year contract which would see him earn €200m and spend 18 months of that contract at Barcelona.

This would massively help the Spanish club as they wouldn’t have to pay Messi anything, while the Argentine would get his farewell season.

So there are plenty of potential solutions being discussed by Barcelona, ​​but it’s clear they want Messi back, and the Camp Nou hero is more than open to a return.