Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed why Lionel Messi snubbed a homecoming move to the club .

Messi became an icon at Barca a club he has been at since he was 12, winning everything there is to win, but he is set to link up with Inter Miami in MLS after touching down in the United States on Tuesday, July 11, following an end-of-season break.

Barcelona planned to bring Messi back to the club from PSG after he announced his intention to depart. However, Laporta claims that his disappointing spell in France – where he was booed by fans after a suspension for travelling to Saudi Arabia – put him off the idea of returning to Camp Nou.

Laporta told Mundo Deportivo: “The player wanted it, the father wanted it, but the rhythms are different. We didn’t want what happened last time.

“He told us that he decided to join Inter Miami because he had spent very difficult seasons in Paris, where he was under a lot of pressure, while in Miami he would be calmer and could think about the national team and that, although he wanted to come to Barça, he didn’t want to spend another year like this. It’s understandable and we’re working on a great tribute to Messi that Barca should do.”

Messi is set to make his Inter Miami debut against Cruz Azul in a Leagues Cup.