- Shamser Khalid
Lewandowski Shares Hopes for Messi's Return
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski has expressed his desire for Lionel Messi to return to Barcelona this summer. Speaking at a charity event, the 34-year-old forward said that Messi belongs at Barca and that his return would be something incredible. Lewandowski also said that he hopes to play alongside Messi next season.
Messi, who is currently playing for Paris Saint-Germain, is in the second season of a two-year deal with the club. His recent booing by PSG fans in their game against Lyon has further soured the relationship between the player and the club's supporters. PSG's failure to make an impact in European competitions this year has also led to talks of significant changes to their sporting project.
Because of this, there have been rumors about a possible return to Barcelona, where he spent two decades before his departure. Barca's vice president, Rafael Yuste, confirmed that the club is in contact with Messi about a return.
Aside from this, Barcelona fans have chanted his name in the 10th minute in their last two matches, representing his former Barca shirt number.
Lewandowski and the La Liga
Barcelona is currently sitting atop the La Liga table with 72 points, 13 clear of second-place Real Madrid, with 10 matches remaining. Lewandowski, who is in his first season with Barca after playing for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, leads the league in scoring with 17 goals in 24 games.
However, the player recently revealed he had been carrying an injury. He sustained a knock from Real Madrid defender Eder Militao during their game last week in the Copa del Rey, leaving his body in a bad way.
Lewandowski hopes to recover soon and continue playing well for Barcelona, who are currently leading the La Liga table. With ten matches remaining, the club aims to win the league for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
Barcelona's La Liga Story
While Barcelona is poised to win La Liga for the first time since the 2018-19 season, they have not had the best of runs in the Champions League and were eliminated from the Europa League by Manchester United.
They also suffered a Copa del Rey elimination at the hands of Real Madrid. Lewandowski believes that Barcelona will improve next year and become great again. He added that there are a lot of new players and injuries in the team, and it has been difficult to get things going.
Messi's Transfer Story so Far
On Messi's end, not much has been reported outside of potential talks with Barcelona. So far, Messi rejected an offer made by Al-Hilal.
Reportedly, Messi's priority is to remain in European football. He has not made a definite decision on whether to stay in Paris or return to Barcelona, but it is likely that he will remain in Europe for the next season.
Despite this, Messi has refused to answer phone calls made on behalf of a negotiator close to Barcelona's president, Joan Laporta. Laporta had planned to meet with the Argentine during his visit to the Ballon d'Or awards in Paris last October, but such attempts were unsuccessful.
It remains to be seen whether a deal can be reached between the club and the Argentine forward. Fans will have to wait and see what happens in the coming weeks and months.
