Messi, who left the Blaugrana last year to join PSG, has also been reported to be keen on a return to the Catalan club.

Messi admitted in May he did not want to leave the ‘complete happiness’ of playing at Camp Nou, and a report from SPORT suggests his former team-mate Xavi has told Barcelona president Joan Laporta to secure his return.

Messi scored 672 goals in 778 appearances for Barcelona, and won a staggering 35 titles and a record-breaking six Ballon d’Or awards during his 17-year stay at the La Liga club.

Laporta has also added fuel to this story adding that Messi’s “chapter” at the club is “not over” and wants the Argetinian to have a “more beautiful ending” at the Camp Nou.

“Messi was everything,” Laporta said exclusively to ESPN.

“To Barca, he’s been possibly its greatest player, the most efficient. To me he’s only comparable to Johan Cruyff. But it had to happen one day. We had to make a decision as a consequence of what we inherited. The institution is in charge of players, coaches.

“I would hope that the Messi chapter isn’t over. I think it’s our responsibility to try to … find a moment to fix that chapter, which is still open and hasn’t closed, so it turns out like it should have, and that it has a more beautiful ending.”

“As president of Barca, I did what I had to do. But also as president of Barca, and on a personal level, I think I owe him,” he added.