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Hislop thinks Xavi makes a Barcelona return possible for Messi (1:30)

When Messi's contract with Paris Saint-Germain ends, Hislop is on board with his return to Barcelona. The first part of the story is over.

Lionel Messi will play next. There's a lot of speculation about the next stage of his career despite the fact that the Argentina international is staying for a second season with Paris Saint-Germain.

When his contract with Paris Saint-Germain ends in June of 2023, the Barcelona legend will be free to leave, and there are a number of destinations that he could consider. Writers were asked to figure out the odds of each possible move.

Option 1: Return to Barcelona

It is a long time in football at Barcelona. Is it possible that Messi could come back to Camp Nou to say goodbye to the fans?

President Joan Laporta said that if Messi wanted to come back as a player, it would have to be for free, so the decision would have to be made by coach Xavi.

While exceptions might be made due to the club's financial situation, Xavi wants younger players who will press and harry for 90 minutes. He doesn't want one player who is exempt from certain duties, but Messi is Messi, and what he did at Barcelona could never be duplicated.

He's still important to the club. He has shown for Argentina that he still has that spark that other people can only dream of. His relationship with Xavi is also included. It would be difficult to say no if he really wanted to come back.

There is a feeling that Messi's time at the club has ended. He will be back in the city he calls home sooner than later, but only once his boots have been hung up and he wants to be a sporting director. Who knows where the soap opera will be in a year. Over the last two years, there have been strange events.

Superstar Lionel Messi could leave Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer after completing his contract in June 2023, but what are some potential landing spots? (Photo by Aurelien Meunier - PSG/PSG via Getty Images)

Option 2: Move to Premier League

The question is whether Messi needs or wants the money and challenge offered by the premier league.

There are only a few English clubs who could afford him. His links with Man City are obvious, but he may have already left the ship.

When it came to the crunch in the summer of 2021, club bosses never made a move to sign Messi. Messi decided to stay at Barcelona despite City's serious interest in 2020. When he left, City moved on and he was allowed to go to Paris.

Despite the massive commercial appeal of landing Messi, it's unlikely that City would change tack even for the Argentine.

The lure of adding Messi to an already massive marketing machine would be a key consideration for Man United, but they are also trying to move away from throwing superstars into amishmash of a squad. Ed Woodward was the executive vice-chairman at the time. Much of the football decision-making has been transferred from Richard Arnold to John Murtough, who is trying to build a more balanced group of players.

It would be exciting for the fans to see Messi at Old United, but it would look like another short-term decision. It's not likely that Messi will play in the premier league because of the new money and new owners.

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Option 3: Homecoming to Newell's Old Boys

Over the years, Messi has wanted to go back to his native city of Rosario and finish his career with the club he left at the age of 13 The closer it seems as a possibility, the more remote it appears.

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His fans in his home country latched on to the idea that the national team was his number one priority after he left Barcelona. It may not translate into time spent in the domestic Argentine game.

Is he a fan of the football? Messi has been critical of the South American pitches on his trips back to Argentina. A style of football where the spectacle is almost as important as the result is where he was brought up. The modern South American club game has such a hold on it that he has never played it.

His family is also present. The same can't be said for his children, who adore Barcelona and have a relationship with Paris.

South American players who have spent a lot of time in Europe have trouble with their kids when they return to their home countries. The continent is home to the father, but it is not home to his children, unaccustomed to the level of social violence that occurred last week when a gun was pointed at a man while he was on holiday.

The Argentine players have had similar experiences. Messi's status made it impossible for his kids to hide in a provincial city. They would be living in a goldfish bowl with fear in their hearts.

He might go to the United States when his time in Europe ends. The football player and his father will not be under as much pressure.

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Lionel Messi has had a difficult first season in Paris, but he is still considered to be one of the greatest players of all time.

Option 4: Move to MLS

There is a rumour that Messi is going to Inter Miami.

When Inter Miami finally got word they would play in 2020, Messi sent a video to David Beckham to wish him well. Three weeks ago, it was reported that Lionel Messi was going to Miami in the summer of 2023, along with a 35% interest in the team. It makes sense that that report was shot down.

It's possible that Messi could return to Barcelona in an ambassador role after spending the last two or three years of his career in Miami Beach. The excitement for the sport ahead of the World Cup, which the U.S. is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, would be given a boost by his presence.

MLS has a lot of experience in bringing famous players to the league, like David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Henry. If Messi's salary were to be in the tens of millions, he would earn several multiples more than the Chicago Fire's Xherdan Shaqiri, who is currently the league's highest-paid player.

Will Messi end up in the US? It seems like a longshot. His return to Barcelona is as powerful as the tractor beam on the Death Star, and a swansong with his club seems the right move emotionally.

Reality has tested the patience of foreign superstars who used to play with the best. Even though he has to wait, Miami managing partnerJorge Mas is used to getting what he wants. What is a few more years for a cash bonanza like Messi if he can't get a stadium deal done in 312 years? Mas, along with Beckham, will continue to try.

Lionel Messi will want to target the Champions League now Kylian Mbappe has committed his future. Getty

Option 5: Stay at PSG

The desire from the French club was to secure Messi a contract for three straight years when he joined them from Barcelona. They settled for a two-year deal with an option for another, but the plan is to keep him in Paris for three years.

It will depend on how his second season in the French capital goes, but there are high hopes that he will want to continue the adventure.

He didn't shine as much as he used to at Barcelona in his first campaign because he needed time to adapt to a new life and new surroundings. He expects his second year at the club to be better, after he finished the season well. There will be more of a chance that he stays if he feels that the team can help him win another trophy and that he is still competitive.

Another season with Messi means more money for Paris Saint-Germain. From the club's point of view, it is important that Messi stays for a third year.

With him in the squad, Paris Saint-Germain believe they have a better chance of winning the European Championship.