Why the Blues should steer clear of the little Argentine.
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If reports in the tabloid press are to be believed, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is keen on a move to Chelsea amid talk of a £200 million move for the multiple Ballon d’Or winner and all-time leading La Liga goalscorer.
Would Chelsea be wise to splash out on Messi, however? We don’t believe so – here are five reasons why:
It is simply too much money
If Chelsea are to bring Lionel Messi to the Premier League, they are undoubtedly going to have to break the world transfer record on him, which would be a huge risk for a 27 year-old whose game is largely based on his ability to operate in tight spaces and turn of speed. The signs are already there that Messi is moving into a more withdrawn role as he gets older, meaning that they could be paying £200m for a different player to the one who has dominated world football.
They could be embroiled in a tax row
One of the reasons for Messi’s mooted move to Stamford Bridge is the fact the Argentine is currently embroiled in a tax dispute with the Spanish authorities and could well be set for a date in court in the near future. Chelsea don’t want to be seen as signing Messi to facilitate an escape from justice in Spain.
They don’t need a focal point
Despite the likes of Luis Suarez and Neymar being on the books at the Nou Camp, there is little doubt over who the top dog is at Barcelona. Messi is a player so good that he dictates the team’s system and style being built around him, whilst Chelsea’s success this season has been based on being a fluid, balanced team without such a focal point. Footballing wise, they simply don’t need him.
Chelsea’s marquee buys haven’t really worked
Whilst Messi is arguably on a different level to any of these players, Chelsea’s success in the Roman Abramovich era has come from bringing in round pegs to fit round holes, rather than spending big on marquee players. When they have done that, with Andriy Shevchenko, Fernando Torres and Juan Sebastian Veron springing immediately to mind, it simply hasn’t worked.
They risk marginalising key players
If Chelsea do sign Messi, then it is likely that they will have to smash their already generous wage structure to bring him to the Premier League, particularly with the more stringent levels of taxation in England. If they do give Messi a bumper deal, could the likes of Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas be justified in asking for parity?