Speaking in an interview with ESPN Deportes, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has stated that the club did everything in their power to re-sign Lionel Messi, but the player ultimately decided to move to Inter Miami this summer.
With Messi’s contract with PSG expiring earlier this summer, Barcelona were among the contenders to sign him on a free transfer.
Talks took place between the two parties and a transfer was believed to be close, but delays due to the Financial Fair Play situation and concerns about registration ultimately led to him choosing the MLS.
Barcelona did ‘everything’ to re-sign Messi
“We did everything we could. It was very close. We had to manage our financial fair play situation so we needed time. At the end, we reached an agreement with La Liga that authorised us to add him to the squad,” Laporta said.
He decided to go to Inter Miami, we respect him. Because of the circumstances, he told us it was the best thing for him and also he can bring a lot to Inter Miami and to football in the United States.”
“We are happy if Messi is happy (…) With the arrival of Messi, Busquets, Alba, Luis Suarez and perhaps Andres Iniesta, he will have a team of enormous quality and who have achieved everything in world football,” he added.
When asked if there is a chance for Messi to return to Barça in the future, Laporta said: “Barça will always be his home and that is something that we will see when the time comes. It depends on a lot of things, on whether he wants to and if the circumstances are right.
‘But Messi already knows that Barça will always be his home. That has always been the case with the great players that the club has had throughout its history.”
