A year after putting an end to his 20-year chapter at Barcelona, it is fair to say Lionel Messi has not had the best of times.
The Argentine is coming on the back of arguably the worst season of his professional career, in which he scored only six goals in Ligue 1.
Although PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has backed him to succeed in the coming season, there is a feeling Messi’s powers are waning.
A return to Barcelona was mooted in the January transfer window, but the club president Joan Laporta poured water over the speculations,
suggesting there is no possibility of the prodigal son returning to Catalonia in the near future.
According to a report from ARA, the distance between Messi and Barcelona is growing seemingly.
After Laporta voiced his desire to stage a farewell for the Argentine, there has been no contact with the player surrounding the event.
Messi’s relationship with Barcelona’s dressing room has also gone cold due to a lack of communication. However, he does maintain an excellent relationship with captains Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Busquets is even hoping to reunite with Messi by joining Inter Miami next summer when his contract at Barça comes to an end.
Messi himself, meanwhile, is keen on returning to Barcelona, but not as a player. He would be open to doing tasks related to sports management or even becoming a technical director.
The Argentine international seems to favour an executive role more than a coaching role.
The report from ARA further suggests Barcelona do not owe money to its former captain, as the books were settled prior to his move to PSG last summer.