Xavi: Barcelona's door is always open for Messi to come back
Lionel Messi is "the best player in history" according to Xavi, who said Barcelona's door will always be open to his former team-mate.
Xavi has explained that Barcelona will always welcome Lionel Messi back while he is coach of the Blaugrana.
Messi left Barça last year in a move that stunned the world of football, with the Spanish giants unable to afford to fulfil the terms of a new contract that had been all but agreed with the 34-year-old.
That meant Messi could leave as a free agent and he joined Paris Saint-Germain, though his switch to the French capital has not quite hit the expected heights just yet.
PSG look set to cruise to the Ligue 1 title yet fell to a humbling defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16.
Messi, who will miss PSG's clash with Monaco this weekend due to illness, has scored just seven goals in all competitions.
However, along with Kylian Mbappé, he does top the assists chart in Ligue 1 with 10 so far, while his 48 chances created ranks him as the most creative player in PSG's squad in the French top flight.
Xavi: "Messi is the best player in history"
There has been speculation that Messi could leave PSG at the end of the season and though it seems unlikely that the Parisians would be willing to lose him and Mbappé, who is out of contract and seems set to join Madrid, Xavi would not turn down the opportunity to be reunited with his former team-mate, whether that be as a sensational transfer or simply as a visitor.
"Messi has earned having the doors open to Barca," Xavi told a news conference ahead of El Clasico on Sunday.
"As long as I'm the coach here, if he wants to come every day to watch training or talk to the coach, what he's given us is priceless, he's the best player in history.
"He deserves a big tribute from the club. But today he has a contract with PSG, I think he signed for two years."