Lionel Messi’s Barcelona future hangs in the balance as he awaits Joan Laporta’s vision for what the club can achieve, amid interest from Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
According to Mundo Deportivo, more than just the financial terms of his new contract, the returning president must convince Messi this his proposed signings will enable Barca to compete for the Champions League.
The Argentine international is desperate to win Europe’s most prestigious club competition for the fifth time in his career but remains concerned about Barcelona’s ability to do so after recent failures.
Since beating Juventus 3-1 in the final six years ago, they have only once made it further than the quarter-finals.
That was in 2019, when Liverpool overturned a three-goal deficit from the first leg of the semi-finals to set up a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid.
In order to commit his future to Barcelona, Messi needs to be convinced that Laporta believes the club can win major honours in the coming years and that he has the plans in place to make that happen.
As he turns 34 this summer, Messi knows that he is approaching the end of his career and he is determined to achieve as much as he possibly can in his final few years at the top level.
Man City and PSG are the only other clubs who can realistically afford the wage that he wants and fulfil his ambition of winning the Champions League at least once more before he retires.
Moving to Man City would appeal because of the profile of the Premier League, the club’s attractive style of play and the presence of several familiar figures, not least his former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola.
Messi and Guardiola enjoyed great success during their four years working together, claiming three La Liga titles and the Champions League twice, beating Manchester United in the final on both occasions.
