A fresh report has claimed that seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is "bothered" by the rumours that he could return to Barcelona.
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The Spanish giants have been credited with an interest in bringing their all-time record goalscorer back to LaLiga, with his current deal at Paris Saint-Germain set expire in 2023.
It was previously stated that the Argentine had left the door open to a potential return to the Blaugrana, whose president Joan Laporta was eager to make amends with Messi following the player's abrupt departure in August 2021.
Publications across Europe and Argentina suggested that the ball had started rolling on the 35-year-old's possible return to his boyhood club, whom he represented for 16 years at senior level before his contract expired last year.
According to Barcelona-based journalist Alfredo Martinez, however, Messi is less enthusiastic about the idea of heading back to Spain, and the chances of the move actually materialising, despite what has been claimed, are highly unlikely.
Leo Messi is very bothered by the rumors linking him with a return back to Barcelona. It is very unlikely.
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) October 13, 2022
— @Alfremartinezz pic.twitter.com/sodOwjJOOo
The reporter goes on to state that there has been no contact between president Joan Laporta and Messi, after it was said that the pair had worked on repairing their relationship following the fallout that came with the playmaker's Camp Nou exit.
Financial issues were what caused Barcelona to go back on their decision to offer Messi a new deal last year, with Laporta later publicly implying that the four-time UEFA Champions League winner could have done more to pen a new deal and stay in Catalonia.
The Spaniard's comments were believed to have upset Messi, who reportedly felt he did everything he could to remain a Barca player prior to his eventual free-agent departure and subsequent move to PSG.
While Messi has sat out of the French giants' last two matches with a calf injury, the Catalan giants return to action on Sunday in a LaLiga ElClasico against fierce rivals Real Madrid, just days after suffering a massive blow in the Champions League.
