“Camp Nou will always be his home” – Barcelona chief discusses Lionel Messi return

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Barcelona president Joan Laporta has invited Lionel Messi to the inauguration of the revamped Nou Camp but has played down any chance of resigning the Barca legend after letting him go last August

Speaking to RAC1 via the Daily Mirror, Laporta revealed: “My communication with Messi is no longer fluid but I’d love to have Leo here present with us during the inauguration of the new stadium.

“Camp Nou will always be his home. His departure to PSG? We did what we had to do [last summer].”

Laporta oversaw Messi’s departure last summer after promising to keep the Argentine superstar multiple times during his election campaign and after, as quoted by 90min and others.

Joan Laporta and Lionel Messi

It is said that Messi no longer has a relationship with the Barca president, after letting him go last August; as Laporta rejected a proposed CVC deal from La Liga, which would have given the Catalan side the funds to sign the Argentine to a new deal, according to Marca.

Since then, Messi has been linked with a return to the Camp Nou as he struggles to hit the heights he once reached in a Blaugrana shirt at Paris Saint-Germain. Messi has scored just two league goals for the Paris based club and although he sits top of the Ligue 1 assists chart, it has been a struggle for the Barca legend to adapt to life in France.

Speaking of a return for Messi, Laporta told RAC1: “I’ve received no message from Messi or his agents over a possibility of returning back to Barcelona. As of today, we are not going to be raising this issue.

“There’s no conversation with Leo Messi over his potential comeback to Barça. The reality is that we’re not considering this possibility. Leo is Leo, he’s the best – but this kind of deal is not part of our plans.”

In Spain, Messi scored a staggering 672 times in 778 appearances for Barcelona and left the Camp Nou decorated with a remarkable 34 trophies more than when he first found it.

Messi could possibly return to Barcelona soon, but it looks likely that it will only be as a guest.

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