Barcelona issue statement on Lionel Messi transfer after revealing return dream

LIONEL MESSI making a sensational return to Barcelona has been directly addressed by the Spanish giants.

Club president Joan Laporta concedes a stunning reunion between the LaLiga big hitters and the club hero is just ‘not realistic’.

The Argentina World Cup winning captain made his name at the Nou Camp and has a trophy cabinet bursting with all his successes both from a team and personal point of view.

The eight time Ballon d’Or winner, now 38, is currently on the books at David Beckham’s Inter Miami and has recently signed a fresh deal.

The three-year extension takes the superstar through to 2028 as he begins preparing for the World Cup next summer – likely his last.

Talk of a return to Europe to keep match sharpness with the finals in mind has been rumoured while the MLS goes into cold storage.

Popping up at his old club recently for a visit of the newly revamped Nou Camp would have got tongues wagging.

But Laporta has dismissed any notion of the 38-year-old turning out once again in front of his adoring fan base.

In quotes shared by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, he said: “Leo Messi’s return as a player is something just not realistic.

“As of now, he has a contract with Inter Miami

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“The club is building a project for the present and future.

“It’s complicated, and if you live in the past you hardly move forward”.

We told you last week how Messi had posted an emotional message online after sharing snaps of his return – including him on the pitch.

He wrote: “Last night I returned to a place I miss with my soul.

“A place where I was immensely happy, where you guys made me feel a thousand times the happiest person in the world.

“I hope one day I can come back, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to…”

The trip came just days after 23,000 fans got the chance to watch Hansi Flick’s men in an open training session.

The long awaited return to the iconic stadium comes this weekend when Barcelona host Athletic Bilbao in a LaLiga showdown.

But it will be a reduced crowd and fans will need to fork out serious money to be in the ground for the first time since May 2023.