If he were in the shoes of the club management for the upcoming summer, Ronald Koeman would not bring back Lionel Messi to FC Barcelona. The former coach of the Catalan giants also does not think that the Argentine will return to Camp Nou.
That has everything to do with the financial situation of FC Barcelona," Koeman told ESPN, without giving any sporting arguments for his answer to the question he was asked. "It surprises me that everything keeps going at FC Barcelona. They are renovating the stadium and playing at the Olympic Stadium next season. It surprises me what the club can do financially, while they have so much debt. Players have to sacrifice and accept contracts that are normally much higher. And Messi will not come back for a hundred euros.
If Koeman has to make a prediction, he expects Messi will not return to FC Barcelona. "No, I don't expect him to come back. Sergio Busquets is leaving, it's also not certain that Jordi Alba will stay. They are good friends," Koeman knows. "It wouldn't surprise me if they go somewhere together. Miami is mentioned, Saudi Arabia. So I don't expect him to come back, but the president wants to save face. He let him go."
Messi's contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires this summer. The Argentine was already written off to Saudi Arabia by a French press agency, but that was later strongly denied by Messi's entourage. An adventure in America at Inter Miami or a return to FC Barcelona still seem like serious options, although it is questionable whether the Catalan giant can afford it.
