Lionel Messi's potential return to Barcelona could be back on after Xavi admitted to being in "permanent contact" with the Paris Saint-Germain forward.
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On Wednesday, speaking in a press conference ahead of the Catalan club's UEFA Europa League clash with Manchester United, the Spaniard was asked about the possibility of Messi heading back to the Blaugrana.
Reports in Spain this week have claimed the 35-year-old's dad, Jorge Messi, met with Barca president Joan Laporta to discuss a potential return and left the discussion feeling optimistic a deal could be done.
Messi, according to rumours, was hoping the meeting between his father and Barcelona's chief would be kept quiet, with his contract at PSG set to expire at the end of the season.
Xavi, though, was less restricted in his approach when he fielded questions from journalists, saying he has been in constant contact with the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.
"Messi knows that Barcelona is his home and the doors are open, I said this many times," he said, according to Fabrizio Romano.
"He's my friend – we are in permanent contact, a potential return will only depend on him. Leo is the best player in history, he'd always fit in."
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Messi has also been linked with a move to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia and Inter Miami in the MLS.
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