Lionel Messi has been urged to not ruin his legacy at Barcelona by rejoining the Catalan giants, with Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United used as a warning to the Argentine.
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The 35-year-old is strongly linked with a return to the Blaugrana at the end of the season, despite Paris Saint-Germain's reported eagerness to extend his current contract in Paris to avoid losing him as a free agent.
Liverpool legend Steve Nicol, however, feels the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner should not be tempted to head back to his former club as he risks tarnishing his reputation, like he believes Ronaldo has done with his return to the Red Devils.
"You always think you can go back somewhere, and it will just click and it will be like old times," he told ESPN FC.
"Unfortunately, the number of times that a player has tried that, and you've just got to look at Ronaldo, that number of times players have tried that and it hasn't worked out.
"I'm trying to think, off the top of my head, one that did work out, and I can't come up with any. So if I'm Messi, just leave it the way it is.
"Ian Rush, there's one. Well, the difference is Rushy was 28 I think when he came back [to Liverpool], it's a little different from being 35, 36.
"So no, I think Messi should leave everything he did at Barcelona the way it is, and don't go back and spoil it.
"Because, for me, Ronaldo's spoiled a little bit of his legacy. The fact is he's sitting on his backside watching. People are going to remember that."
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Messi has less than a year left on his deal in France amid suggestions president Joan Laporta is keen to reunite with Barcelona's all-time record goalscorer in 2023.
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