Lionel Messi: I want to return to Barcelona after PSG contract expires

"We'll return to Barcelona to live and our lives will be there."

Lionel Messi has said he wants to return to Barcelona after his time at Paris Saint-Germain is up as a technical director. Messi had no option but to leave Barcelona after 21 years in the summer due to the club's bleak financial situation, and joined PSG on a free transfer. The tears in his farewell press conference told the whole story: he didn't want to go, the club wanted to keep him, but there was no way of making it happen. Speaking to Spanish outlet SPORT, the Argentina captain said: "I don't know if that'll happen when my PSG contract is up. "What’s almost confirmed and certain is that we'll return to Barcelona to live and our lives will be there. "That's what my wife and I want. I don't know what'll happen when my PSG contract ends, but we'll go back to live in Barcelona. "I've always said I'd love to be able to help the club do well in any way that I can be useful. I'd love to be a technical director at some point. "I don't know if that'll be at Barcelona or if it might work out differently. "If the option is there, I'd love to contribute again in any way that I can because it's the club that I love and I'd love it to keep doing well, growing and remain one of the best in the world." Messi is already 34 and while there is still magic in his boots, his waning athleticism means Mauricio Pochettino is having to carefully manage his workload at PSG. He is yet to score in Ligue 1 but has bagged important goals for the French side in the Champions League.