With reports that Lionel Messi is unhappy at Barcelona, we take a look at the four suggested destinations for the Argentine.
Following Barcelona’s surprise La Liga defeat at the hands of David Moyes’ Real Sociedad outfit in San Sebastian last weekend, reports have intensified suggesting that Barca icon Lionel Messi is unhappy at the club and will seek a new challenge away from the Nou Camp, where the Argentine maestro has spent his entire career to date.
SEE MORE:
Lukas Podolski hits out at Wenger
Lionel Messi will quit Barcelona for Chelsea
Things appear to be coming to a head, with report from the Sun suggesting that Messi is ready to quit the Nou Camp if another major continental power is financially ready to make the deal happen.
Four potential destinations are suggested by the report – so we’ve taken a look at the likelihood of each deal happening and how well Messi would fit in:
Manchester City
Manchester City certainly have the financial capability to support a deal for Messi, with their huge backing from Abu Dhabi – but the club would still have to make any deal work with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play restrictions in mind. The club’s Director of Football, Txiki Bigiristain, is a former Barcelona man and has worked with Messi before, which could hand them a trump card when it comes to persuading the player to join, but it is hard to see how his face fits with the impending arrival of Wilfried Bony from Swansea City. Argentina have also had issues getting Messi and Sergio Aguero to play successfully together in the same team.
Paris Saint Germain
Much like City, compliance with UEFA regulations would be the only financial barrier to a PSG move for Messi, with the club also being richly funded by Middle Eastern investment. More of an issue for the French side may be persuading Messi to move to Ligue 1, a league that lacks the competitiveness of La Liga or the Premier League, despite the fine challenge put up by Marseille and Lyon this season. There is also the thorny issue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic – friction between the Swede and Edinson Cavani have shown that there can only really be one main man at the Parc des Princes.
Chelsea
Chelsea are the club most heavily linked with a move for Messi and Stamford Bridge is also the destination that seems to make the most practical sense – Roman Abramovich could easily finance a deal for the Barcelona man and he is also well known for his desire to bring marquee signings to the club, with Messi being the biggest marquee that exists in football right now. Jose Mourinho would also love to get one over on old adversaries Barcelona by poaching their best player, whilst the challenge of the Premier League could also appeal to Messi. Financial Fair Play, however, is again an issue.
Real Madrid
Easily the most controversial of the destinations suggested by the Sun report is the Bernabeu, home of Barcelona’s bitter La Liga rivals Real Madrid. It is true that Real are one of few teams who could finance a move for Messi, money appears to be no object to the club from the Spanish capital, whilst they have shown in the past, with the likes of Luis Figo and Michael Laudrup, that they love nothing more than stealing their rivals’ best players. However unhappy he may be at the Nou Camp, however, Messi remains Barcelona through and through and it is hard to see the Argentine doing the dirty on his club by moving to Madrid.