Xavi has described Lionel Messi's Barcelona return as "impossible right now" after president Joan Laporta hinted at a comeback.
The Spanish giants were forced to release Messi, 35, last summer after wracking up more than £1billion of debt. He signed a two-year contract at Paris Saint-Germain but has struggled to make an impact in France, scoring just six Ligue 1 goals in his debut season.
Messi's worrying form for PSG has led supporters to speculate about a return to Barcelona. Xavi knows exactly how good the Argentina skipper can be, playing alongside him at the Camp Nou for many years before his departure in the summer of 2015.
Despite this, Xavi isn't entertaining the idea of signing Messi this summer. "He has a contract and it's impossible right now," the Barcelona boss told reporters in Dallas on Monday evening ahead of their upcoming friendly against Serie A side Juventus.
"Messi is the best footballer in the world and in history. President Laporta already said that Messi's story with Barca is not over, but now is not the time to talk about it."
Speaking to ESPN, Laporta said: "Messi was everything. To Barca, he's been possibly its greatest player, the most efficient. To me he's only comparable to Johan Cruyff. But it had to happen one day. We had to make a decision as a consequence of what we inherited.
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"The institution is in charge of players, coaches. I would hope that the Messi chapter isn't over. I think it's our responsibility to try to find a moment to fix that chapter, which is still open and hasn't closed, so it turns out like it should have, and that it has a more beautiful ending."
Messi achieved unprecedented success during his 21 years at Barcelona. After coming through the famous La Masia academy, he scored a record 672 goals for the club - 73 of which came in one term. He scored at least 30 goals-a-season for 13 consecutive years.
The Argentine's form in front of goal help Barcelona win 10 La Liga titles and 14 other domestic trophies as they dominated in Spain. The Catalan side also enjoyed success on the continent with Messi lifting the Champions League four times.
Barcelona have invested heavily in their squad this summer, signing Robert Lewandowski, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha and Franck Kessie. Messi's signature would perhaps be a transfer too far, but they could lure him back when his contract expires next year.
Speaking at his Barcelona leaving presentation, Messi said: "I don't want to leave this club - it's a club I love and this is a moment I didn't expect... It was like my blood ran cold. I was really sad. It was really difficult right up to now. I'm still trying to process it all. When I get home I will still feel bad; it will be even worse. I'm not ready for this."
Messi did not get the chance to say goodbye to the fans due to the pandemic. He added: "I'm leaving the club without seeing the fans for over a year and a half. If I imagined it, I would imagine the Camp Nou full, and to say goodbye properly. But it has to be this way."
