Pique warns Barca that forcing Messi return could be counterproductive

• Apr 3, 2023

Gerard Pique has warned Barcelona that forcing Lionel Messi’s return to Camp Nou could be “counterproductive”.

Messi is approaching the end of his two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain, having joined the Ligue 1 giants when a financial crisis forced him to leave Barca in 2021.

The World Cup winner’s future is uncertain, with Barca regularly linked with a move for their all-time leading goalscorer, while David Beckham-owned Inter Miami are also keen to lure him to MLS.

While PSG head coach Christophe Galtier revealed the club were planning discussions with the 35-year-old, Blaugrana vice-president Rafael Yuste admitted he would “love” to see the forward return to Camp Nou.

Pique, who announced his retirement from football earlier this season, won eight LaLiga titles alongside Messi at Barca, as well as three Champions Leagues and three Club World Cups.

But the former defender insists a potential reunion between his old club and team-mate must happen naturally.

“He knows Yuste and is a wonderful person who will always tell you what you want to hear,” Pique said during an interview with Gerardo Moreno.

“Forcing the situation, however, can be counterproductive. Things have to move naturally. If it has to be done, it will be done. When there is a desire on both sides, an operation in football can always succeed.”