Pep Guardiola hopeful of Messi’s return to Barcelona

• Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is optimistic that Lionel Messi will return to Barcelona
• Messi is nearing the end of a two-year contract with the Ligue 1 front-runners
• There are indications he could head back to Barcelona

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is optimistic that Lionel Messi will return to Barcelona because it is the only club that will give him a glorious exit when the time comes.

There are speculations that he could end up in the Saudi Arabian league or back in Spain.

Following his two-week suspension for travelling to Saudi Arabia, there has been much discussion about Messi’s future at PSG over the past week.

According to French media, Messi reportedly finalised details before signing a contract with a Saudi Arabian club.

However, his father Jorge Messi said that his son hasn’t signed another deal with any other team.

Pep Guardiola with Lionel Messi. Photo/Sky Sports

The World Cup champion is nearing the end of a two-year contract with the Ligue 1 front-runners. He had earlier stated that before agreeing to a new contract, he has to see what plan PSG have for the club.

With everything that’s happening, Guardiola says Messi will most likely return to Camp Nou where he started his football career.

“I’m a Barcelona fan, I’ve got my tickets and I just hope that one day we can say goodbye to him as he deserves. He’s the greatest player of all time,” the Spaniard football manager told ESPN.

Guardiola said Barcelona’s glory as La Liga giants in the past decade would never have been possible without Messi at Camp Nou.

Thus, he feels the PSG player rightfully belongs in Spain and not at Parc des Princes where he is currently playing.

“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, everything,” Guardiola noted.

The City manager is hopeful that his seat will still be there when the day comes to send off Messi from Camp Nou.

With Barcelona president Joan Laporta at the helm, Guardiola is sure he will do everything possible to have Messi back at Camp Nou.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) suspended Messi for two weeks over an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia without the club’s permission.

Former Barcelona player Lionel Messi. [Eurosport]

He, however, flew to Saudi on a Sunday night following a double cancellation of his scheduled business trip to the Gulf nation after PSG defeat.

As a result of his decision to travel to Saudi against his club’s will, Parc des Princes suspended him from playing in two games and a further fine from his two-week pay.

The 35-year-old was photographed in Riyadh and announced his visit on social media. Messi already represents Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry as a brand ambassador.

Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) named Messi its official brand ambassador in May 2022. This was his second visit to Riyadh in the capacity of a tourism ambassador.