Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said that Lionel Messi's chapter at the club is not finished, hinting at a possible Camp Nou return for the Paris Saint-Germain attacker.
The 34-year-old left Barcelona on a free transfer last summer due to the Catalan outfit's financial problems, ultimately penning a two-year deal with PSG.
Messi finished the 2021-22 campaign with 11 goals and 14 assists in 34 appearances for the French champions, but he only found the back of the net on six occasions in Ligue 1 and faced criticism for his performances.
The Argentina international has already confirmed that he will spend next season with PSG, but he could potentially leave the capital giants on a free transfer next June.
Laporta has now opened the door for Messi to return to Camp Nou amid claims that the La Liga outfit would consider re-signing him at the end of his PSG contract.
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"I don't believe Messi's chapter at Barcelona is over," Laporta told ESPN. "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."
Messi recently said that he was confident of enjoying a successful 2022-23 campaign in Paris, having initially found it difficult to adapt to his new surroundings.
"Next season will be way better for me with Paris Saint-Germain, I'm sure. It was not easy after that crazy summer," Messi recently told TyC Sports.
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"It was really difficult to understand what happened, I wasn't expecting to leave Barcelona - it was a shock. I had everything in Barcelona. I went to Barcelona when I was very young.
"I lived more in Barcelona than in Argentina. The truth is that I had no plans to change anything. Luckily the adaptation of the kids was good, but for Antonela and for me it was more difficult."
Messi scored 672 goals and registered 302 assists in 777 appearances for Barcelona before his surprise exit last summer, and his father, Jorge Messi, has previously hinted at a return to the club for his son.
"I hope it [happens], some day," Jorge Messi told Jijantes FC.
The South American won 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey crowns and four Champions League trophies during a highly-successful period at Camp Nou, while he helped PSG win Ligue 1 last season.
Matt Law
