In the summer of 2021, Barca could not keep Messi for financial reasons. On the day of the farewell, El Pulga cried a lot and promised to return to Camp Nou in the future.
After more than a year, Barca's financial situation is still particularly difficult, especially after being eliminated early from the Champions League. However, when asked about Messi's ability to return to Barca, Laporta said:
"How will Messi return to Barca? That is the wish I wish to achieve as President of Barca. I think I also have to take responsibility for Barca not being able to keep Messi, but I still believe that the parties' suspension of cooperation with each other is only temporary.
Messi's time with Barca has ended in an unexpected way. In fact, the parties' inability to extend the contract stems from financial reasons. No matter what, we still feel that we owe Messi in terms of affection.
In the summer, we have made a detailed plan and all the goals have been achieved" - Laporta shared about the development of Barca.
"Now, we have a better team than last season. We always think about developing the team. Injuries do not allow us to fully exploit the potential that the new recruits bring".