Lionel Messi Will Not Return To Barcelona, Says Inter Miami Boss

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi will not be making a sensational comeback to FC Barcelona for the second half of the 2023/24 season. Rumours were rife that the World Cup winner could go on a loan deal to his former club in order to be able to bid Barcelona fans a proper farewell. However, the manager of his current club has slammed the door on the idea.

Speaking about the rumours of the loan deal, Inter Miami manager Tata Martino said: "That's surprising. I know nothing about that. If you're telling me that he's going to go visit Barcelona on vacation, yes, it's probable, but I don't have any information on the other part."

Martino also made it clear that Messi is in his plans for the coming Major League Soccer (MLS) season, which begins in February.

What were the loan reports all about?

Following a dismal performance for most of the current season, Inter Miami was languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference table up until Messi arrived this summer along with former FC Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

Together, they helped the team string together a 12-match winning streak. They were able to lift the first trophy in the club's history after winning the Leagues Cup, and they also made it to the US Open Cup final.

However, Messi suffered an injury last month while on international duty and missed five games, including Inter Miami's loss in the US Open Cup final. While they were able to get themselves off the bottom of the table, a dip in form during Messi's absence meant that Inter Miami are now mathematically unable to secure a playoff spot. As such, after playing their last two league games later this month, the players will go on a lengthy holiday break.

This opened the idea that perhaps Messi could pull-off a David Beckham-style loan deal which could allow him to play in Barcelona for the second half of the La Liga season.

Messi's schedule is not as open as it seems

Apart from Martino's comments, Spanish pundit Guillem Balague does not think it is possible for Messi to return to Barcelona either. He pointed out that while the MLS season ends on October 21 for Inter Miami, Messi still has international duty for Argentina. The reigning world champions will be facing Uruguay on November 17 and Brazil on November 22. If he is fit, there is little chance that Messi will miss those games. That means that he won't really be free until the end of November.

At that point, Messi will likely take a holiday with his family, and just as Martino said, he will probably find time to return to Barcelona where he still owns his primary residence. He will have perhaps a little over a month before he will be needed back in Miami for pre-season training.

This means that the MLS side will not be keen on allowing him to play for Barcelona from January until June. It may be remembered that he signed for the club in July this year, and instantly made a massive impact. However, by that time, they had slipped so far down the table that even the added reinforcements could no longer save their league campaign. For 2024, they will surely want to start the season with the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner in the lineup.

It's not a good deal for Inter Miami

FC Barcelona won't be able to afford to pay a massive fee to bring Messi back for a loan spell thanks to the dire state of their finances. Inter Miami is not exactly cash-strapped, and having Messi on the roster will surely generate much more revenue for the club than sending him out on loan.

Apart from that, their chances of lifting their profile for the benefit of sponsors will also increase significantly with Messi around. As such, Inter Miami won't be too keen on making such a deal, but it remains to be seen if the Argentine himself tries to make it happen.