Messi back to Barcelona? Journalist who first reported Inter Miami transfer makes bold claim | OneFootball

In May 2022, football journalist Alex Candal broke a story that took many by surprise – he reported that Lionel Messi was set for a move to Inter Miami.

A year later, the Argentine would eventually move to Miami to become MLS’ biggest-ever transfer.

Candal reveals Messi’s next move

Now, the same Alex Candal has reported on Messi once again, revealing where exactly the Argentine could be headed next.

Messi’s current contract at Inter Miami expires at the end of the year, with the forward unlikely to continue further.

Keeping that in mind, Candal has claimed that Messi’s next destination could be nothing other than Barcelona.

The journalist even cited Messi as saying, “I can’t leave football without playing at the new Camp Nou.”

Messi reportedly keen on returning to Barcelona (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

This is quite a significant development even though this is too early to make any assumptions about Messi’s future.

The Argentine’s potential return to Camp Nou, nonetheless, will be quite significant for the club, although it remains to be seen whether or not Barça have the economic means to pull off the deal.

Not to mention, Messi has a fractured relationship with Barcelona president Joan Laporta and that must improve, if the Argentine is to return to Camp Nou.

Moreover, it is unclear whether or not Messi will fit into Barcelona’s current sporting setup, with Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha already building a formidable attacking combination.

Securing the services of an ageing Messi, therefore, might not be the most progressive move from Barcelona’s perspective.

That said, Messi’s influence in Barcelona cannot be understated and given his performances at the international stage, it is clear that the Argentine is more than capable of still competing at the highest level of football.

The player himself has hinted about his desire to return in the past.

Therefore, it will be interesting to see how this saga transpires in the coming months and whether or not Barcelona make a proper attempt to bring back their prodigal son to Catalonia.