The Argentine has opted against coming back to Camp Nou, and despite his obvious talent, Xavi's team have avoided an unnecessary signing
Lionel Messi said it himself. On Wednesday, the Argentine gave a lengthy interview with Spanish publications and after it emerged that he would not, as many expected, return to Barcelona next season. He revealed that he'd been miserable in Paris. He conceded that he wanted to return to Catalunya. But he also noted that there are some people who probably don't want him there.
That is admittedly hard to imagine. Messi will forever be associated with Barca, a player who brought the club immense success, won seven Ballons d'Or in Catalunya, and outlasted numerous iterations of some of Europe's best sides. Who would be stupid, indignant and self-assuming enough to not to want him back?
But the detractors, made-up or otherwise, perhaps have a point. A Messi return was always enticing in theory and a dream for the football romantics. But its workability never seemed to be addressed. No one really asked why this happen.
It was something that everyone brushed over, with Barcelona reportedly hastily assuming that they could simply slot the Argentine into their title-winning team. Messi-ball, they insisted, would work — forget everyone else.
This would have all made for great viewing. It is, after all, the most dramatic transfers that yield the best storylines, and generate the most likes on social media. Indeed, Cristiano Ronaldo would not being trolled for finishing second in the Saudi Pro League if the Glazer Family had realised that he probably wasn't going to make Manchester United better two years previously.
But the actual stuff, the real football, needs to cross the mind at some point, and those involved in the Messi saga never really seemed to consider that. It was all rumours, half-baked stories, and pictures of the player looking sad at Parc des Princes. No one really knew anything concrete until it was announced on Wednesday that he would play for Inter Miami. As it turns out, Messi didn't either. In fact, he wanted to join Barcelona — until he realised he couldn't.
His decision made Barca rather sad, and it will undoubtedly remain in the Blaugrana psyche for some time. Still, it's perhaps good for the club that they couldn't make it happen. Football romanticism is irresistible and inevitable, but it's systems that work. And with Barca looking to expand on a La Liga win and improve on a young, interesting core of players, Messi was never going to be the right fit — not anymore.
Getty ImagesWhat it should have been
Barcelona, of course, will never admit that this rejection might have helped them. This signing was as much about power and ego as it was about football. The Blaugrana wanted Messi so they could him, to show the footballing world that they could, after years of financial ruin, bring their star man back. That he couldn't pen a new deal in 2021 was a disaster of their own making, the culmination of years of financial mismanagement, and him returning would have brought an end to that sorry chapter.
The current version of Messi wouldn't have necessarily made them worse, but it always seemed like a statement of intent rather than a marquee signing. So, when Messi walked away, the Barcelona brand as a whole took a hit. Barca, in general, are not rejected by anyone. They especially don't get rejected by club legends. And they absolutely do not get turned down by Lionel Messi. This is mostly because they are, in fact, Barcelona.
And everything had reportedly all been set up for his return. Barca were reportedly planning to use some of the billions of euros generated in shirt sales to pay the part of his contract they couldn't afford. They were counting on new sponsors, who they assumed would invest with the World Cup winner back in the fold, to give their own finances a boost. Messi's relationship was to be symbiotic. He would raise money for the club, who would then use a slice of those profits to pay him — equal parts footballer and cash cow.
And the squad had been adjusted, too. Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique — among Barcelona's highest earners — have all left the club in the last seven months. For Pique, it was certainly time to move on. The other two, though, were perhaps ushered out of the door, and took massive pay cuts to leave, all so the money was there for Messi's arrival. In effect, the Blaugrana sacrificed the last pieces of his own generation to bring him back.
AdvertisementGettyThe disagreement
But Messi didn't care about Barcelona's moves. Or rather, he didn't believe everything to be workable. He claimed on Wednesday that Barca had never presented him with a formal offer. The club fired back, saying that a proposal had been given to his father.
It is possible here that both parties are right to some degree. Messi is not oblivious to Barcelona's finances, and could likely tell that they were making the monetary maneuvers to fund his return. After all, they made their intentions very public, with Xavi, Sergi Roberto and Laporta himself name-checking him in the press.
But despite all of the optics, the Blaugrana's exact state still wasn't clear. In the end, Messi spared himself the embarrassment of a potential collapse and walked away before anything could happen.
Barcelona, in return, were furious. They released a sarcastic, didn't-want-you-anyway, statement in return, indignantly wishing Messi the best of luck as he went to play in a "league with fewer demands".
Those were the words of an organisation whose ego had been damaged. Here was a club that was planning to flaunt its new (old) superstar. He rejected them before they could plan it properly. That is not something that Barcelona could get over, and they perhaps never will.
GettyWhat Barcelona won't have
And they can't necessarily be blamed for their anger. Barcelona have missed out on something material here. In a footballing sense, Messi would have brought excitement every time he walked onto the pitch. He's slower now, those magical legs trudging through the grass they once sprung over. He touches the ball less, and only runs in short bursts. But the technical brilliance is still there. Messi is still Messi — just a different version.
His footballing quality and sheer desire to play for Barcelona surely would have yielded more memorable moments for the Blaugrana. Messi showed at the World Cup that when he still wants to play for something, he can still be rather good at this sport.
And there's the idealism of it all, too. Even the sternest, cold-hearted football fan would have loved, to some degree, to see Messi play in Catalan colours again. Messi was never really supposed to leave Barcelona, something he admitted on Wednesday. There are some things that football fans perhaps deserve. A Messi return to Catalunya was one of them.
The marketing department at Barcelona is perhaps also disappointed. It is unclear how much Messi would have generated in commercial revenue, but hundreds of millions is not an entirely unreasonable estimate. And in a way, Barcelona were perhaps counting on his arrival.
Although their financial situation has improved from the apocalyptic state that Messi walked away from two years ago, the Blaugrana still have immense problems, and could do with an injection of cash. The Argentine alone would not have brought them out of near-ruin for the third straight summer, but he would have certainly helped.
And on a more basic level, the two entities are intertwined. If this were by choice, Messi would not have embarked on a miserable two-year Parisian holiday in 2021. Messi is Barcelona. And, as the last five days have shown, Barcelona Messi. Here are two parties that should always be united, ideally on the pitch. The vibes, quite simply, don't feel right.
GettyWhat Barcelona might have
But there have been signs this year that Barcelona the footballing entity don't need Messi anymore. After 18 months of misery without their former main man, the Blaugrana are actually rather good. Xavi hasn't made them must-see TV, but he's brought them a first La Liga in four years. Detractors will probably laugh at the winning of the glorified friendly that is the Super Cup, but after beating Real Madrid in the final, Barcelona have lifted two trophies this year.
And if they keep this Messi-less current squad, they will be in the race to win La Liga again — if not outright favourites. Main rivals Madrid endured a bad year, and have responded by signing Europe's best young talent. But Barcelona are also very good, and will only get better.
Messi is too good to make Barca worse — even with his defensive shortcomings. But the players around him could have stagnated. His arrival would mean the benching of one of Pedri, Gavi or Frenkie de Jong, arguably the three best midfielders in the Spanish top-flight this past season. If Barcelona is a project — and Xavi insists it is — then Messi would stall its progress.
It would also certainly impact their transfer budget this summer. The Blaugrana have a lengthy shopping list, and will need to replace Busquets — an endeavour that will not be cheap. There will undoubtedly also be other targets needed to cope with the stress of what the Blaugrana hope will be a deep Champions League run.
And bringing in Messi would stretch every last financial sinew. That budget, vital in fleshing out the squad, would shrink. Surrendering an entire squad to cater to one player simply doesn't make much sense — regardless of who it is.