Newell's Old Boys are working hard to bring Lionel Messi back, according to Gonzalo Calvigioni, a local journalist from Messi's birthplace of Rosario.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner first played football at the Rosario club.
Speaking to Estadio 3 por Cadena 3 Rosario, Calvigioni said Messi "has never been as close to a return to Newell's Old Boys as he is now. The club hope to sign him as early as January 2027."
His contract with Inter Miami runs until the end of December 2028, making a move to his homeland this winter unlikely.
Messi moved from Rosario to Barcelona in the summer of 2000. He never played a match for the Argentine club's first team.