Barcelona Rumors: Barca Close To Re-Signing 'New Lionel Messi'

Barcelona could be on the verge of signing a midfielder who has drawn comparisons to Lionel Messi.

With his current deal with Paris Saint-Germain set to expire in a few days, Kays Ruiz-Atil--a former Barcelona Academy player--is headed to a sensational return to Camp Nou, Spanish outlet Diario Sport reported.

Ruiz-Atil has opted not to ink a new deal with the Ligue 1 side and Barcelona is moving up a notch in securing the French-Moroccan rising star’s return, after having monitored his situation for a considerable period of time.

The 18-year-old left Barca’s famed La Masia for PSG in 2016. Roughly five years after the said move, Ruiz-Atil confirmed that he is departing the French capital on his official social media account.

“I don't know where to start, but the adventure for me with [PSG] ends here,” Ruiz-Atil wrote while posting a photo of him and former PSG boss Thomas Tuchel. “Here I learned everything. Here I made my dream come true by playing with the greatest players in the world and becoming a professional footballer."

“I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart all the members of the club,” he added. “The president, the staff, the various coaches that I have known since the start of my training, and all the people in the shadows who work every day within the club so that we can be in the best conditions.”

Under Tuchel, Ruiz-Atil was able to show what he is capable of inside the pitch, having been handed seven senior team matches.

However, he hasn’t made a single first-team appearance since Mauricio Pochettino took over and became the new Paris Saint-Germain manager.

Prior to being linked to a return to Barcelona, Ruiz-Atil was reportedly on the radar of English Premier League side Chelsea per AS.

The Blues were said to be keen on signing Ruiz-Atil back in February.

The report added that newly-appointed Chelsea manager Tuchel, at the time, was fancying a reunion with Ruiz-Atil at Stamford Bridge after being impressed with the youngster during their time with PSG.

Ruiz-Atil is a winger who is capable of functioning as a central-midfielder and a playmaker.

What’s even more interesting is that despite only having limited first-team experience, the football prodigy is already being dubbed the “New Messi” due to his crafty ballhandling, effective usage of both feet, and savvy playmaking skills.