The Argentine icon is spending the final months of his career at PSG.
Xavi Hernandez has insisted Lionel Messi’s possible return to Barcelona “only depends on him”.
Messi ended a glorious 21-year spell at Barcelona to join Paris Saint Germain in August 2021. The Argentine superstar signed a two-year contract that will expire in June.
A number of clubs have shown interest in signing Messi as a free agent next summer. Barca have repeatedly insisted they are keen to bring Messi back, despite PSG’s efforts to keep him at Parc des Princes.
“Messi knows that Barcelona is his home and the doors are open, I said this many times,” Xavi told reporters on Wednesday.
“He’s my friend. We are in permanent contact; a potential return will only depend on him. Leo is the best player in history, he’d always fit in.”
A possible return to Barcelona seems unlikely due to Messi’s damaged relationship with the club’s hierarchy. The former Barca star has reportedly ruled out a move back to Camp Nou as long as Joan Laporta is the club’s president.
Last month, Messi’s brother, Matias, hit out at Barca’s management in a Twitch stream, saying: “I have a SPORT clipping that says ‘Messi should return to Barça’. I said “Hahahaha, we are not going back to Barcelona and even if we do, we are going to do a good cleaning. Among them would be to kick out Laporta.
“People [in Barcelona] did not support him. They should have gone out for a protest or something, Let Laporta leave and Messi stay.
“The Spanish are traitors. I’m telling you this because I want you to hear it from us, not somewhere else.”
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