"Barcelona did not do enough for Leo’s return" - Sergio Aguero defends Lionel Messi after he seals Inter Miami transfer

Former Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero has defended Lionel Messi's call to not wait for the Blaugrana while deciding his next club. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner announced that he will be joining MLS side Inter Miami upon the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.

Messi was heavily linked with a return to the Catalan club in the summer. However, the Argentine recently announced that Inter Miami will be his next club. Spealking about Messi's decision, Aguero said (via Albiceleste Talk):

“Messi’s decision? Barcelona did not do enough for Leo’s return. Yes, there was a La Liga thing also and an economic situation, but Leo made the correct decision to not to wait until the last second like in 2021.”

Lionel Messi left Barca in 2021 as the Blaugrana were unable to renew his contract due to La Liga's wage cap rules. He joined PSG as a free agent. His deal expires on June 30 and the player will be moving to the United States after that.

Lionel Messi explained his decision to snub Barcelona

Lionel Messi is Barcelona's greatest ever player. He scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists in 778 matches for the Catalan club. The Argentine, though, chose not to wait for his former club.

Messi said that he was reluctant to leave his future in the hands of others. Speaking about his decision to join Inter Miami, the 35-year-old said (via SPORT):

"I really wanted to come back, I was really looking forward to it. But, on the other hand, after having lived through what I lived through, after the exit I had... I didn't want to go through the same situation again and have to wait to see what was going to happen. I didn't want to leave my future in the hands of others."

He added:

"Somehow, I wanted to make my own decision for myself, for my family. Even though I heard that they said that the league had accepted everything and that everything was OK for me to come back... there were still a lot of other things missing. I heard that they had to sell players or lower the salaries of players and the truth is that I didn't want to go through that, nor be responsible or have anything to do with all that."'

It seems unlikely that fans will see Lionel Messi in the colors of Barcelona in the future again. The player has penned a two-and-a-half-year contract with Inter Miami with the option to extend for another year.