Alberto Fernandez, Argentina’s president has sent a plea to Lionel Messi, calling on the star forward to return to his homeland and complete his career with Newell’s Old Boys.
The speculations surrounding Messi’s future has filled the headlines over the past week after he turned in a transfer request at Barcelona.
Any Camp Nou exit is now clouded with rumours as La Liga’s governing body recently stated that the Argentine attacker isn’t allowed to make a move from the club for anything short of his staggering €700 million (£624m/$823m) release clause.
However, a number of clubs have been rumoured to have had talks with Messi with Manchester City leading the pack in signing the forward but Paris Saint-Germain, Inter and Juventus also linked with interest.
At 33 years of age, riding on the pedestal of another strong season individually, Messi is still at the top of his powers to compete at a top European club but that hasn’t stopped Argentine faithfuls of dreaming of a possible homecoming.
Fans of Argentina side, Newell’s Old Boys recently paraded through the streets of Rosario canvassing for the return of Messi to the club he represented as a youngster and now Argentina’s president has also joined on the movement, voicing his desire to see such a reunion sooner or later.
“You are in our hearts and we have never seen you play in our country,” Fernandez said in a message directed at Messi via C5N.
“Give us the pleasure of ending your career with Newell’s Old Boys, your club.”
Fernandez, who is a supporter of Buenos Aires side Argentinos Juniors, went on to admit he remains a bigger fan of Diego Maradona.
“The great merit of Maradona is that he played alone against the world,” Fernandez said. “I’ve never seen a player like Maradona. I admire him deeply – more than Messi, to be honest, because he comes from the Argentinos’ youth. He was a kind of gladiator, with incredible strength.”
Messi’s battle to secure a move away from Barca is now threatening to become a drawn-out saga, even though he has already decided that he no longer wishes to play for the club.
The 33-year-old deliberately refused to report for medical testing at the club’s training facility ahead of the new season in order to put pay to any lingering doubts over his mindset.
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