During the Copa del Rey match against Real Madrid, Barcelona fans were heard chanting Lionel Messi’s name, indicating their desire for the star player to return to the club. Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire at the end of the season, and it appears increasingly likely that he will not renew it. This means that he could potentially be available for free in the summer, and Barcelona is one of the clubs that are reportedly interested in signing him.
In the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final, Barcelona had taken the lead against Real Madrid with Eder Militao’s own goal. However, Vinicius Jr equalized just before half-time in the second leg, and Karim Benzema went on to score an incredible hat-trick to secure a 4-0 victory for Real Madrid. This meant that Barcelona was knocked out of the competition.
Despite the defeat, Barcelona fans were still vocal in their support for Messi, chanting his name throughout the match. It remains to be seen whether Messi will end up at Barcelona next season, as his future is far from assured. After Argentina won the World Cup, Messi’s father Jorge had indicated that his son would stay at Paris Saint-Germain. However, an early exit from the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich appears to have changed his mind, as well as ongoing politics at PSG.
According to L’Equipe, Messi is ready to walk out of Paris Saint-Germain this summer, with negotiations moving away from an agreement. A return to Barcelona would be a romantic reunion after his departure two years ago. Messi had joined Barcelona in 2000 and spent 21 years there before financial troubles prevented his contract from being renewed.
There are also reported offers from David Beckham’s Inter Miami as well as Saudi Arabia side Al Hilal. If Messi were to join Al Hilal, it would set up epic Middle East clashes against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr. However, it remains to be seen where Messi will end up next season, and whether Barcelona will be able to secure his signature.