Ever since Lionel Messi was forced to leave Barcelona at the height of their financial complications last summer, fans of the Catalans have been dreaming of seeing him return to the Camp Nou.

Now, with Cristiano Ronaldo dominating the headlines as his Manchester United future up in the air, it seems as though the Argentine's story in Catalonia may not have been written in its entirety just yet.

Although Xavi Hernandez has played down any speculation linking the club with Paris Saint-Germain's Messi, and Joan Laporta has done similarly, there is now a belief that their paths could cross in a year's time.

It is thought that the door has not been completely closed on Messi, even if pulling it off would be complicated.

The club's relationship with Messi isn't as good as they'd like, and his exit in 2021 wasn't handled in the best way possible, leaving a little bit of tension between the two parties.

But Barcelona are open to seeing their greatest-ever player return, and he will be a free agent in the summer of 2023 when his two-year contract at the Parc des Princes expires.

It is unknown how the no.10 himself feels about the possibility of returning to Catalonia.