The future of
Lionel Messi
is a
huge unknown
that once again keeps the world of football in suspense.
As happened a couple of years ago when he was negotiating with
Barcelona
for the renewal of his contract that was not, which led to his move a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower, now the best player on the planet is carrying out talks with Paris Saint-
Germain
to extend their stay beyond June of this year.
But in the middle, the alarms sound again from Spain, this time with a strong version that indicates a face-to-face meeting between
Jorge Messi
, father and representative of La Pulga, and
Joan Laporta
, president of the Catalan club.
What is true?
Was there such an encounter?
Can Leo dress in Barcelona again?
Why doesn't he finish agreeing with PSG?
Intrigues, relationships, rumors, information, interpretations, truths and lies of a triangle with a diffuse panorama.
The mystery grows week by week.
And the transcendents abound.
Information emerged from Catalonia about a rapprochement from Barça, something unprecedented since the relationship broke with the departure of Rosario, back in August 2021. In the Spanish institution they assure without hesitation that the meeting between Messi Sr. and Laporta existed and that it was cordial.
They say that it was a matter of smoothing out rispities with an eye on a
tribute match
that they want to carry out in Barcelona for Leo.
It is neither more nor less than the tribute match that never happened due to his abrupt departure.
A pending account
that Barcelona wants to fulfill and that would be in 2024, on the 125th anniversary of the club and with the works on the Camp Nou completed.
However, there are those who say that this hides an intention to repatriate Messi by Laporta.
Is this possible?
There are winks that can fuel the illusion of Catalan fans, such as the close friendship that Xavi maintains with his former teammate.
In fact, the Blaugrana coach said in the last few hours:
"For Leo this is his home and his doors are open, so I can't say anything else. He's a friend, we're in permanent contact, we talk about a lot of things, and nothing more From there, it will depend a lot on him, on what he wants to do in his future, on what fits for the club as well, but it is clear that this is his home".
And it's true,
Barcelona is Leo's home.
The club and the city.
It would not need any adaptation, a very positive point.
And, from a sporting point of view, despite the recent elimination from the Europa League at the hands of Manchester United, the team presents an interesting scenario for the future, quite different from Ronald Koeman's frustrating stage.
Of course,
all this sweetness is suddenly cut off when you look at the bitter part of reality, which makes your return a chimera: the economy
.
Barcelona exceeds its salary limit
.
And matching Messi's salary would be impossible with the numbers of his current squad.
In addition,
Javier Tebas
, president of LaLiga, is rigid in this regard and, to make matters worse, he does not exactly have a good relationship with Laporta.
Around Messi they do not confirm or deny the meeting between his father and the president of Barça.
But in the meantime, one thing is clear:
the only current and concrete negotiation that the captain of the Argentine team, world champion in Qatar 2022, has on the table today is that of PSG
.
Face-to-face meetings have already taken place between Jorge Messi and the sports secretary of Paris, the Portuguese Luis Campos.
And new matches are awaited after the return duel against Bayern Munich for the Champions League, on Wednesday, March 8 (the first leg was a 1-0 victory for the Germans in the Parc des Princes).
Those talks are moving slowly.
After the final won against France in Lusail, with Leo already resting in Rosario, there had been comments about a principle of agreement for the renewal of '30'.
Why is the continuity of him not signed?
Because the agreement is not total and there are differences that persist.
One of Messi's concerns is the
sports project
for next season.
And they say that they would not have been very convincing from Paris when talking about the investment to be made thinking about the future.
That is why the next meetings will be vital, in which the Qatari Nasser Al-Khelaifi, boss of PSG, could even participate.
And if it's not Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain, then what?
This hypothetical scenario has not yet entered anyone's head beyond the fact that in Paris some give it as a probable destination.
The possibility of landing at
Inter Miami of the MLS, owned by David Beckham
, lost power considerably.
It is that Messi at 35 years old still feels at a maximum level and seeks to play in a top league and, if possible, continue playing in the Champions League.
That is when the range of variants is drastically reduced.
Another factor of weight is the family
.
The move to France was traumatic at first because of his three children.
But the boys, as well as his wife Antonela, are already fully adapted, comfortable and comfortable in the French capital.
Going through another similar process again and in such a short time is not the idea, a priori.
Where will Lionel play from July 2023?
That is the question.
For now, the scenario does not have a defined horizon with the naked eye.
And everything indicates that this intrigue will continue for a long time.
look too
World surprise: Ronaldinho returns to football to play in the league created by Piqué and Ibai
The anger of Sergio Ramos after being deleted from the Spanish National Team: "Humbly, this career deserved to end by a personal decision"
Di María, devilish with Juventus: triplet of all colors and the reaction of his DT when he hung it from the corner against Nantes
