Spanish reports from AS suggest that Lionel Messi, the 36-year-old World Cup-winner, could make a stunning comeback to Barcelona in the January transfer window, provided Inter Miami fails to secure a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Messi has expressed a strong desire to return to Camp Nou since his departure to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. He even mentioned having discussions with his former club in Spain before his move to Inter Miami, but financial constraints made the transfer too complicated.
Currently, Inter Miami finds itself seven places below the playoff line in the standings, with only three matches left in the MLS season. However, they do have one game in hand over the teams they need to surpass. The MLS regular season concludes on October 21, which would mark the end of Messi’s season with Miami if they fail to reach the playoffs.
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Messi return dependent on Inter Miami MLS performance
Interestingly, Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas has hinted that he wouldn’t stand in the way of Messi’s dream return to Spain, should the opportunity arise.
Although Messi is under contract with Miami until 2025, he has already stated that he has no intentions of extending his stay in the MLS beyond that date, according to reports. Additionally, there have been recent links connecting Messi to his childhood club, Newell’s Old Boys, once his time in the United States concludes.
The possibility of Messi’s return to Barcelona in January largely depends on Inter Miami’s performance in the MLS.
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Messi’s injury
Messi’s recent absence due to injury has contributed to Miami’s struggles, as they have failed to win their last four matches in all competitions, including three in the MLS.
As a result, they currently sit in 27th position, just two spots above the bottom of the table, and are 13 points away from the playoff qualification threshold.
If Inter Miami misses the playoffs, Messi could potentially secure a short-term loan move to Barcelona in the January window, allowing him to bid farewell to the Blaugrana faithful in a more dignified manner than his previous departure.
Spanish media outlet SPORT has also reported that Messi could follow in the footsteps of former MLS stars like David Beckham, Landon Donovan, and Thierry Henry, who took short loan spells at European football clubs to stay active during the playoff season when their respective teams failed to make the championship round.
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