It came as a shock to many when Barcelona announced last year that they would not be renewing Lionel Messi's contract and that he would be leaving the club as a free agent. There was never any doubt that the Blaugrana would find a way to fix their financial problems and keep the Argentine superstar around.

Despite him cutting his salary in half, the club, however, abruptly decided that they could not proceed with the extension. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner eventually left for Paris Saint-Germain, and the relationship between the two sides ended after 21 years.

There's been no hiding Xavi Hernandez's desire to re-sign the 35-year-old despite the botched handling of his departure last summer. Due to the expiration of his contract with the French champions, the odds of a reunion becoming a reality increased dramatically at the season's end.

What does Robert Lewandowski think about Lionel Messi's possible Barcelona comeback?

After securing Robert Lewandowski as a major acquisition this past summer, Barcelona president Joan Laporta is now reportedly looking to add another 'superstar' name to his team for the next season. He spent heavily to bolster his club during the transfer window, and he plans to do the same thing again next year because he thinks another star player is essential.

In recent months, the Blaugrana have made significant progress in reducing their roster in order to save money on salaries. In addition, with his recent comments, Laporta seems to have opened the door for Messi's return to the club in 2023, via Sport: "Leo knows that Barcelona is always his home”.

Fans would go wild at the thought of the veteran wizard returning to the starting lineup, and their enthusiasm would be amplified by the fact that he may be paired with another offensive great in Lewandowski. And according to a recent interview, the Polish international seems fine with the idea of playing alongside.

"Messi is absolutely brilliant with the amazing passes he plays to the striker. If you think about Messi, he has this brilliant connection with strikers. He knows how to put the ball into the box, between the lines... he's the best in the world at that. I don't know what's going on right now, but for a striker, it would be a dream to play with Lionel Messi for sure," the former Bayern striker told Marca.