Victor Font reveals Lionel Messi talks as he vows to 'finalise' homecoming transfer if elected new Barcelona president

Election season is in full swing in Barcelona, with candidates campaigning hard ahead of next month's big vote. Font is seen as Joan Laporta's biggest rival in the race to be elected Barcelona president and has regularly spoken of his desire to bring Argentine maestro Messi back to the club for a "last dance." Font now claims to have spoken with Messi about a Barcelona homecoming and has revealed they have been working on a project to tempt the club legend back for the last four years.

Font told Mundo Deportivo: "Yes, we've spoken directly with Messi and people close to him. These are private conversations, and we've always maintained that no one should use Messi for electoral purposes. Our duty is to explain what we've prepared and, if we win, finalize the agreement that's best for him and the club.

"Since 2022, we've been working on a project to bring Messi back to Barça after the World Cup, driven by his and Xavi's enthusiasm. The proposal has three pillars: institutional, for him to accept the position of honorary president; commercial, inspired by partnerships like Jordan-Nike or Federer-On, which could generate significant revenue and leverage his minority stake in Inter Miami to strengthen his presence in the American market; and sporting, so he can say goodbye to Barça and the Camp Nou in whatever way he chooses, whether by playing or through a tribute."

Font also spoke about his overall aims for the club and his desire to improve their dire financial situation, adding: "Our candidacy seeks to professionalize and modernize the club, integrating diverse groups and protecting the institution from risks, especially financial ones, in order to strengthen the sporting project, pay off the debt, and develop an ambitious social program."

Laporta remains the frontrunner to win the elections but has openly admitted his relationship with Messi is damaged following the forward's shock exit from the club in 2021. Messi subsequently refused to greet Laporta at the 2023 Ballon d'Or gala and the 63-year-old has now lifted the lid on his shock exit in his new book 'This Is How We Saved Barça.'

"When negotiating the renewal, he had a very demanding team, and although his father was more understanding, his inner circle gave the impression that he wasn't. We came up with a crazy solution: a long-term contract with an initial stint as a Barça player and a second on loan to an MLS team, something that seemed to circumvent LaLiga's rules. But LaLiga told us to forget it, that we had to sign an agreement to sell a percentage of the television rights for fifty years through a fund called CVC," he wrote, per Marca.

Laporta also says there was a chance to bring Messi back before he signed for Inter Miami, adding: "Jorge Messi came to my house, I prepared the contract, I sent him the draft and he didn't respond. A week goes by, two... a month later, he finally comes back to my house and tells me that they have decided to go to Inter Miami, where he won't be under so much pressure."

Messi remains in Miami and has recently signed a contract with the club that runs through to the end of the 2028 MLS season.

Barcelona's presidential elections are scheduled for March 15th, the same day Hansi Flick's side are due to take on Sevilla in La Liga. According to Mundo Deportivo, Laporta is the clear favourite for victory ahead of Font, Marc Ciria and Xavi Vilajoana.