Former Barcelona manager, Xavi Hernandez, has claimed that Lionel Messi agreed a deal to return to the LaLiga club, after winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
However, the club’s president, Joan Laporta, refused to sign off on the deal.
According to Xavi, Laporta claimed that Messi’s return will be a financial burden to Barca.
Leo Messi back to Barcelona was a done deal after that World Cup won by Argentina. It was done,” Xavi told La Vanguardia.
“We also had LaLiga’s green light and Messi wanted to return… but Laporta stopped the signing”.
“Laporta told me that if Leo came back, there would be a wage war and he couldn’t afford that.”