Barcelona are reportedly confident they will be able to lure Lionel Messi to the club in the upcoming transfer window.
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According to 90min, the Blaugrana are becoming increasingly assured that the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner will be donning the famous red and blue of the club once the 2023/24 campaign commences.
The 35-year-old is expected to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, and while it is believed he would like to return to Catalonia, it will all depend on whether or not the club are in the financial position to make it happen.
The LaLiga table-toppers have, however, put themselves in a better position to bring back their record goalscorer after club captain Sergio Busquets confirmed he would be leaving the Camp Nou once the current campaign ends.
The holding midfielder is among the highest earners at Barca, and with his wages off Barca's books, re-signing Messi becomes more possible as a result, with LaLiga president Javier Tebas claiming as such in a recent interview.
"Busquets' departure is the beginning of the road for Messi to return," Tebas told COPE.
"But to reach the end, they still have to walk many meters. I'm not the one to give them the green light, it will be their economic control."
If the Spanish giants are unable to sign the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal will likely be waiting in the wings to sign the football icon.
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The recent AFC Champions League finalists have reportedly offered Messi a deal worth more than €400 million (R8.3 billion) a year, the biggest contract in football history, and while the forward would prefer a return to Spain, the Saudi side are still firmly in the picture to land his signature.
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