Barcelona president Joan Laporta has declared that the club is Lionel Messi’s “home” as they look to re-sign the forward this summer. Messi’s contract with Paris St-Germain is set to expire in June, and reports have linked him to Saudi Arabia. Laporta, however, stated in an interview with Spanish broadcaster TV3 that Barcelona can compete with anyone for the 35-year-old’s signature. He noted that the club has a strong history, 400 million fans around the world, and that the feelings between Messi and Barcelona are too strong for him to stay away.
Messi left Barcelona two years ago after 21 years at the club, but has since struggled during his two seasons in France, with fans booing him after their 5-0 win over Ajaccio at the weekend. Laporta said that he and Messi had an “affectionate conversation” and that he congratulated Messi on winning the World Cup in Qatar last year. He added that they must wait until the end of the season before they can talk more calmly about the situation, but that with all due respect to Saudi Arabia, Barcelona is home.
Laporta’s comments come after Barcelona won their first La Liga title in four years with a 4-2 win over Espanyol on Sunday. Laporta appeared to be more reserved than during a late night Twitch stream after the win, on which he is reported to have said the club would do “everything possible” to sign Messi.