Barcelona are still paying outstanding salaries to superstars Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, while the Argentine striker will arrange a return to his former club in honour of his contributions.

The Argentine superstar left Camp Nou in 2021 after his contract with the Catalan giants ended, while the two Spaniards parted ways in the summer of 2023. All three players are currently playing for Inter Miami in the US Major League Soccer (MLS).

According to Mundo Deportivo, Lionel Messi grew up in Barcelona’s academy and is considered the greatest player in the club’s history. With 8 Golden Balls, many football experts consider superstar Messi to be the best player of all time and is currently the player with the most titles in the history of the Catalan club.

Messi was forced to leave Barcelona in 2021 when his contract expired. Due to financial difficulties, the club could not renew Messi’s contract, forcing him to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a free transfer.

Three Barca stars have left the club one after another due to old age. Photo: GETTY.

In his final season at Barcelona, superstar Messi was the club’s highest-paid player. So far, the club has been unable to pay Messi’s debts immediately after his departure. Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets are also high-paid players, one of the reasons contributing to the club’s financial difficulties.

Therefore, Barcelona is said to have “suspended” the payments of these three players so that the costs do not increase too much, causing the team to lose balance and violate the Financial Fair Play Law. However, these three former players will be paid off all their debts before the end of this season. Accordingly, these payments only affect the club’s financial budget and are not included in the costs of the current season.

Meanwhile, superstar Messi will return to Barcelona in November to celebrate the club’s 125th anniversary. The Argentine has had a brilliant season at Inter Miami, with 19 goals and 12 assists in 21 games in all competitions. Messi’s efforts helped Inter Miami win the Supporters’ Shield and they are now aiming to win the MLS Cup.

Superstars Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets wear the same Inter Miami shirt again. Photo: GETTY.

Messi’s return to Camp Nou will take place later this year as the club celebrates his contributions to the club’s history. However, the event is scheduled for November 29, which could coincide with the MLS Cup playoffs, which Inter Miami are competing in. So Messi’s participation in the celebration is questionable, especially if his team reaches the MLS Cup final.

According to multiple inside sources, superstar Messi will carefully calculate the time to return to Europe in the midst of preparing for the important match on December 7. However, if he cannot attend on the day, the 37-year-old star will record a video message to be played during Barcelona’s celebration.