Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated that he believes Lionel Messi “will do the impossible” to return to his former side Barcelona.
Guardiola played a significant role in Messi’s career, nurturing him at Camp Nou and witnessing his rise as a multiple Ballon d’Or winner and one of the greatest players in history, even from a young age.
Due to La Liga’s stringent financial constraints, Messi had to depart Barcelona in the summer of 2021, as the club was unable to register his new contract. He subsequently joined PSG on an initial two-year agreement during that transfer window.
However, reliable sources suggest that Barcelona is actively pursuing Messi’s reacquisition this summer, although they face strong competition from Al Hilal, a team in the Saudi Pro League.
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In an interview with ESPN Argentina, Guardiola, an overt Barcelona fan, expressed his unwavering support for Messi and his belief that the Argentine superstar is capable of achieving the seemingly impossible task of reuniting with La Blaugrana.
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“I’m a Barcelona fan, I’ve got my tickets [at Camp Nou], and I just hope that one day we can say goodbye to him as he deserves. He’s the greatest player of all time,” he said.
“In the last 12 years or so, Barcelona had a ‘boom’ and that wouldn’t have been possible without him. And I’m not talking about numbers, but rather his involvement in the play, his beauty, his efficiency, his efficiency, everything.
“I never would have thought that it would end as it did [in 2021]. I’m convinced that president [Joan] Laporta loves Leo, and since he left, he has said [Messi] deserves to have a farewell for the important figure that he is.
“Leo helped our club [Barcelona] become much greater than when he arrived. When a person is so big, you have to say goodbye in the right way. He left because of very difficult financial circumstances, for thousands of reasons that I’m not going to get into.
“I hope the day comes when I’m in my seat [at Camp Nou] and I can stand up and applaud, and say goodbye to Leo as he deserves. And I know that Joan [Laporta] is going to try, and Leo too, and he and his family will receive all the love that Barcelona fans have for him, with all the gratitude and respect for what he did for the club.“