Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has now claimed that Inter Miami star Lionel Messi will return to his former club one day.
The German international has claimed that Messi, as well as fellow Inter Miami summer arrivals Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, are still in contact with their former teammates at Barcelona, and that Messi could return one day.
Even if Messi does not return in a playing role, it does feel inevitable that he will have some sort of role at Barcelona, and Ter Stegen has told GOAL that the Camp Nou is still his spiritual home.
“He would certainly have been an asset for us. Maybe he’ll return in another role at some point,” he stated.
“Barcelona is his club and will always be a big part of his life. Many people here are still in contact with him. A few players he was very close with are now in Miami with him.”
Messi’s next steps
Messi looks destined to spend a while in Miami, but it is unclear whether he will finish his playing days here.
There is every chance that he continues playing for a number of years, and possibly even plays in Argentina, but a return to Barcelona before he retires looks unlikely.
Messi has settled superbly in Miami, and could even attract more former teammates to join, with Antoine Griezmann recently linked with MLS.
When he retires, if he does not take up a role with Barcelona, he may have an interest in further work with Inter Miami, particularly given his love for the city and his relationship with David Beckham.
There is still a long way to go in his career though, and Messi has plenty of aims with Miami on the pitch before he even thinks about what to do off it.