Messi reveals he wants to return to Barcelona

It is no secret that Lionel Messi's heart remains at Barcelona, even after leaving the club over the summer to join Paris Saint-Germain. Now, the Argentine forward has revealed that he indeed has plans to return to his boyhood club.

Setting aside last year's burofax debacle, Messi had always wanted to stay at Barcelona. This summer, he had already decided to sign a new contract before the club revealed that it won't be possible due largely to the fact that their financial crisis meant that they can't afford to sign him.

Messi was left with no choice but to seek pastures new, but for a player of his calibre, it mean that he was snatched up by Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain rather quickly. Within a few days, Messi was presented at the Parc des Princes, and the Barcelona chapter was closed, at least for the moment.

According to Marca, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner is eyeing a position as FC Barcelona's technical secretary once his playing days are behind him. Messi's family considers Barcelona as their home, despite still owning homes in his native Argentina and the US.

As such, it is no real surprise that Messi is planning a homecoming at some point in the future, when he can form part of the Blaugrana's senior management. "Yes, I always said that I would like to come back to help the club in whatever way," Messi said in an interview with Sport.

He explained his motivation further, saying "I would like to return to the club to contribute what I can because I love [Barcelona] and I would love them to keep doing well, to continue growing and to continue to be among the best in the world."

At the moment, there is certainly a lot of room for improvement and Barcelona can use all the help they can get. President Joan Laporta is on a massive damage control project that extends both on and off the pitch.

The club's facilities are in need of renovations, while the squad is also in need of a major overhaul following the departures of Messi and other veteran stars. The old guard is transitioning to a younger set of players, but all this is being done while the club is over 1.3 billion euros in debt.