‘It’s time to return home’: Lionel Messi should quit PSG misery and go back to Barcelona for a ‘last dance’ at the age of 35, urges his old pal Dani Alves
- Lionel Messi has struggled to adapt to life at Paris Saint-Germain since his arrival
- Dani Alves returned to Barcelona in January under former team-mate Xavi
- The Brazilian has called on Lionel Messi to return and play alongside him
Dani Alves has pleaded with former team-mate Lionel Messi to return to Barcelona for a ‘last dance’ together.
Messi has struggled to adapt to life at Paris Saint-Germain following his stunning exit from Barcelona last summer.
The Argentine superstar who has forged a career on his incredible goalscoring statistics, has only netted three times in 27 domestic games for the French side this season.
Lionel Messi has endured a miserable season at Paris Saint-Germain after leaving Barcelona
His former team-mate Alves has called on Messi, who will turn 35 in the summer, to return to the club having made his own comeback at the Nou Camp this season.
Alves said in an interview with Catalan media outlet Diario Sport: ‘I don’t know what he thinks or wants to do.
‘He could come back for a little year with me for a last dance. Why not?
Dani Alves returned to Barcelona in the summer and has called on Messi to join him
‘There’s nowhere better than here. We cannot be better off than at Barca. He left and tried the experience. It’s time to return home if he wants.’
Messi enjoyed incredible success at Barcelona, with full-back Alves playing a key part in the 23 trophies that they won together at the Nou Camp.
However, reports have indicated that the Argentine superstar has failed to settle in Paris and at the club.
He has also failed to win over the fans who have booed him in matches since PSG’s Champions League collapse to Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
Messi failed to make an impact in either leg as Carlo Ancelotti’s side came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 on aggregate.
Messi and Alves enjoyed great success during their time together as team-mates at Barcelona
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has refused to rule out a return for Messi in the future
Barcelona chief Joan Laporta has previously refused to rule out a return to the club for Messi or Andres Iniesta, who has been playing for Japanese side Vissel Kobe since 2018.
He said, as per the Mirror: ‘It has happened with Dani, who has already said that age is just a number and has also made a significant financial effort to return.
‘You are talking about two spectacular players, with Leo and Andres. I cannot predict the future, they are still playing. You never know in life.’
Messi’s contract at PSG runs through until the summer of 2023 when he will have turned 36.
Alves terminated his contract with Sao Paolo before signing with Barcelona in January at the age of 38.
Despite hitting the latter stages of his career, the Brazilian has made 11 appearances in which he has scored one goal and provided two assists.
