POPULAR MAGAZINE - The Sneak Peek (End of Summer Issue 2016) Jul. 2016 | Page 30

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Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has reiterated his desire to rejoin boyhood outfit Newell’ s Old Boys if he were to ever leave the Camp Nou, adding he“ would love” to return to his native land.
The five-time Ballon d’ Or winner spoke to Spanish magazine El Planeta Urbano and confessed Newell’ s would be the only club he’ d want to represent if he returned to Argentina, which could happen“ in several years”( h / t FourFourTwo):
If I go back to Argentina tomorrow, which I would love, the club I would be play for would be Newell’ s.
Messi’ s current Barcelona contract runs until the summer of 2018, at which point he’ ll be 31 years of age, but the expectancy is the South American hitman will pen new terms at the Camp Nou. At the beginning of the year, Goal’ s Ignasi Oliva reported Messi will see his annual salary almost double this summer, jumping from € 22 million(£ 17.5 million) to € 42 million(£ 33.4 million) as reward for agreeing to delay his extension in 2014. Any return to Estadio Marcelo Bielsa will see Messi earn a far smaller wage than what he rakes in at Barcelona, but his passion to represent his former side may push him to one day complete a return nonetheless.