He will be back next summer. Laporta just talked more about that possibility in an interview this evening and he sounded really positive. He will probably be on low wages and only feature in 2/3 of our games, but I will take it. He got a lot he can teach our younger players.
What is there for Leo teach youngsters? Surely his diet, training, professionalism is top class, but Messi became the player he is by having once in a lifetime talent. That is not teachable. He is not extroverted, nor is he some Ronaldo/Lewa level fitness freak.
Would not take him even if he agreed to play for free. Contrary to popular opinion he does have an ego and will want to continue starting as much as possible to add to his scoring records and legacy. Fans will fly in from all around the globe to see him play. Having him on the bench is not viable.
What is his position now? How do we accommodate him in a team that wants to play fast paced, pressing football? Which of our attackers will be sacrificed to shoehorn him into the team?
No serious manager like Pep or Klopp would even think of taking him now, let a lone next season at age 36. No place for sentimentality when building a top side.