Three Barcelona stars happy with Lionel Messi not returning to the club - Reports

Three players from Barcelona have welcomed Lionel Messi's decision not to return to the club with sighs of relief, according to El Nacional.

There may have been disappointment at Camp Nou after the Argentine legend opted for Inter Miami instead. However, this sentiment was reportedly not shared by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ansu Fati, and Ousmane Dembele.

Having shared a tumultuous relationship with Messi during their time together at Barca, ter Stegen has not shied away from admitting their discord. When penning down his tribute following the Argentine's exit from Catalonia, the German goalkeeper wrote (via El Nacional):

"Although from time to time we do not share the same opinion, we always went in the same direction and each of us grew as a person beyond winning or losing."

It is believed that murmurs of Messi's potential comeback led to concerns that past disagreements could potentially jeopardize his place in the team. Due to this, the news of Messi's final decision to join David Beckham's Inter Miami instead of Barca reportedly came as a wave of relief.

But ter Stegen was not alone as Ansu Fati and Ousmane Dembele reportedly also found comfort in the confirmation of Lionel Messi not returning to the club.

Fati, a young talent on the rise, was anxious about his place in the team, fearing it would be compromised by the legend's comeback. Having switched agents, moving from Messi's brother to Jorge Mendes, had created further tension between him and the Argentine.

Dembele, on the other hand, has always had a strained relationship with Messi on the pitch. A past misunderstanding during the Champions League clash against Liverpool, was something Messi could never overlook. This is why Dembele reportedly felt relief on hearing Messi would not be returning to Barcelona.

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Barcelona and PSG teammate Neymar reveals he knew about Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami

Neymar has revealed he wasn't surprised by his close friend's decision to move to Inter Miami. The move that has left the football world astounded didn't seem to catch Neymar off guard.

The PSG superstar admitted to NBA Brasil (via Barca Blaugranes):

"Messi to Miami? I already knew. Messi is one of my best friends and a gift the game gave me. I had the chance to play with him and then we became friends. I knew he would come to Miami and we talked about it. I told him he would be very happy because of the city and the way of life and I’m sure he will change the whole league in the United States."

Messi's transition to Inter Miami comes after an admittedly difficult two-year stint at Paris Saint-Germain. The Argentine maestro's time at PSG was marked by his open admissions about the hardships he and his family faced, according to his interviews with SPORT.

Neymar's own future has been the subject of intense speculation. Rumors about a potential move away from PSG are swirling once again, but a return to Barcelona is not on the table. Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has made it clear that Neymar doesn't fit into the club's future plans.