With rumours of a potential return to the Camp Nou, Lionel Messi has caused a stir in Spain after being spotted out wit FC Barcelona stars.
The 35-year-old is reportedly set to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season when his two-year contract expires, and with several potential suitors having already stated their interest in snapping him up, Barca are believed to be the frontrunners in the race to sign the soon-to-be free agent.
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For the homecoming to transpire, though, the Catalan giants will need to at least partly resolve their well-documented financial struggles, with it understood that they have to raise funds through player sales, among other means, before they can sign and register any new players.
Messi, however, has now drawn more speculation regarding his potential Camp Nou return after spending the past few days in the city he used call home while breaking record after record for the Blaugrana.
According to Football Espana, after arriving in Barcelona for a short holiday with his family, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner met with his former teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba over dinner on Monday night, before returning to the home he still owns in Castelldefels.
The trio were reportedly in the company of their partners and former fitness coach Pepe Costa, with it being said that this was Messi's second known visit to the city in the past two months.
The report also claims that the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner did not have a meeting with the club during this visit, but his arrival with a reported 14 suitcases raised eyebrows, with some believing he is already preparing for a full-time return.
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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, was recently asked to weigh in on Messi's possible second spell in LaLiga.
"Messi can do whatever he wants, and so can Barcelona," Ancelotti said.
"It's not an issue for me. I like Messi as a player.
"For Spanish football, it could be nice to have him."
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