Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said that the club will 'do their best' to bring Lionel Messi back to Camp Nou to finish his professional career.
The 34-year-old left Barcelona on a free transfer last summer due to the team's financial problems, ultimately penning a two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi has another year left to run on his contract in Paris, but there have been widespread claims that the Catalan giants will look to re-sign him on a free transfer next summer.
Laporta recently said that the Argentina international's chapter at the club was not finished, having been forced to leave in difficult circumstances ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.
"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.
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"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."
Laporta has now reiterated that the club will do everything they can to bring 'the best player in their history' back to Camp Nou before the end of his career.
"I did what I had to do in order to put the institution above the best player in our history. I have known Messi since he was a kid and I love Leo. I feel in moral debt to Messi. He's the best player in our history and I will do my best in order to ensure he can have the best ending of his career with a Barca shirt on.," Laporta told CBS Sports.
"I would like to bring him back. It will not be easy but I think with the correct strategy we could do it. I think Messi has been the most important player in our history. During a long period of success he was the leader.
"He was the one who excited our supporters. We will do our best to have Messi ending his career at Barcelona and being applauded by everyone.
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"As I have said, we have a moral debt to Leo. The end of Leo at Barcelona was not the best. It was a difficult time. We had to take a decision and put the club above the best player in our history.
"But I think we have to work now to have Messi end his career back wearing the shirt of Barcelona being applauded on every field that he plays. We will do our best to give him the ending he deserves."
Messi scored 672 goals and registered 302 assists in 777 appearances for Barcelona before his surprise exit last summer, winning 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey crowns and four Champions League trophies during a highly-successful period at Camp Nou.
The forward found it difficult to show his best form for PSG during the 2021-22 campaign, although he did help the club win the Ligue 1 title and finished with a record of 11 goals and 14 assists in 34 appearances.
Despite their financial issues, Barcelona have managed to make five first-team signings this summer, bringing in Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde.
Matt Law
