Barcelona president Joan Laporta has insisted that his club "did everything" they could in a bid to bring Lionel Messi back to Camp Nou this summer.
The Argentina international's exit from Barcelona in the summer of 2021 shocked the world of football, with the forward leaving on a free transfer due to the Catalan outfit's financial problems.
Messi spent two years with Paris Saint-Germain before leaving at the end of June, and he was heavily linked with a return to Camp Nou.
The 36-year-old ultimately decided to make the move to Inter Miami, though, and he has made a strong start to life at his new club, scoring three times and registering one assist in two appearances.
Laporta has said that the La Liga champions were "very close" to bringing Messi back and has refused to rule out the South American returning to the club before the end of his career.
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"We did everything we could. It was very close. We had to manage our financial fair play situation so we needed time. At the end, we reached an agreement with La Liga that authorised us to add him to the squad," Laporta said in an interview with ESPN Deportes.
"He decided to go to Inter Miami, we respect him. Because of the circumstances, he told us it was the best thing for him and also he can bring a lot to Inter Miami and to football in the United States.
"We are happy if Messi is happy. With the arrival of Messi, [Sergio] Busquets, [Jordi] Alba, Luis Suarez and perhaps Andres Iniesta, he will have a team of enormous quality and who have achieved everything in world football.
"Barca will always be his home and that is something that we will see when the time comes. It depends on a lot of things, on whether he wants to and if the circumstances are right.
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"But Messi already knows that Barca will always be his home. That has always been the case with the great players that the club has had throughout its history."
Messi is widely regarded as the best player in Barcelona's history, representing the club between 2000 and 2021, making his first-team debut in 2004.
The forward scored 672 goals and registered 303 assists in 778 appearances for the Catalan outfit, winning 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey crowns and four Champions League titles.
Barcelona have managed to work around their financial problems to bring in three new signings this summer, with Inigo Martinez, Ilkay Gundogan and Oriol Romeu arriving.
Xavi's side are currently in the United States on a pre-season tour, and they will continue their preparations for the new campaign with a friendly against Barcelona on Saturday night.
