In a year that’s provided plenty of twists and turns, Lionel Messi has reminded us to expect the unexpected.
Messi dropped a bombshell on the sporting world Tuesday by telling Barcelona he wants to leave the club after 20 years with the Catalan giants.
To those who’ve followed the club closely, this comes as no surprise. Years of ineptitude, including no clear sporting philosophy, under the guidance of president Josep Maria Bartomeu have led to this moment.
Now the burning question: which team will land Messi if he leaves Barcelona? There are a finite number of options given his astronomical wages, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are clubs that will be in the running.
No transfer fee will be required thanks to a clause in Messi’s Barcelona contract. However, there’s some confusion over whether it still applies due to the pandemic-delayed ending to the season.
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If the clause stands, here are four possible destinations for Lionel Messi.
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris is always a popular choice for any superstar thanks to their Qatari-backed owners. Paris Saint-Germain’s finances are in strong shape with the club reporting a €73-million ($113.9 million) net profit after the 2018-19 season.
PSG is even willing to compensate Barcelona in order to complete a deal for Messi if necessary, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.
Neymar and Messi would be reunited, which is a massive benefit for PSG. The players have a close relationship and the Argentine was pushing for the Brazilian to return to Barcelona. Messi’s international teammates Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes are at the club as well, so he’s familiar with a few members of the squad already.
The Parisians are coming off a loss in the Champions League final, and would be contenders for next season’s title with Messi in the fold. If the 33-year-old wants to win another European Cup, PSG could be one of his top choices.
Manchester United
Interestingly, Manchester United is the other club that would be able to pay a transfer fee if it was required.
It’s surprising considering Joel Glazer – one of Man United’s owners – was reportedly reluctant to meet Borussia Dortmund’s asking price for Jadon Sancho.
But this is Lionel Messi. Surely if he was available, the Glazers would do everything possible to sign him.
United has the revenue to afford Messi’s wages, even with the absurdly high debts on the club’s accounts, so money wouldn’t be an obstacle.
Sure, adding Messi could help United bridge the gap between themselves and Manchester City and Liverpool. But squad depth is thin in key areas. The effects were felt at the end of the season with the quick turnaround between games, resulting in eliminations in the FA Cup and Europa League.
Messi will want to win right away. At 33, he can’t afford to wait another year or two, otherwise he’d stay at Barcelona and wait for the presidential elections.
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Inter Milan
As far back as July, Inter has reportedly worked on a Lionel Messi deal behind the scenes.
Messi even bought an apartment in Milan recently, although that doesn’t indicate a pending move to Italy, either.
Financially, there are concerns over whether Inter could stomach a transfer fee. The club just got back in line with financial fair play regulations. The Milanese side also just acquired Achraf Hakimi from Real Madrid, plus it is close to signing Sandro Tonali.
Inter spent €193 million on player wages during the 2018-19 campaign. That was before the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Diego Godin and Alexis Sanchez all joined the club. They might have to offload some players before they could sign Messi.
That being said, Inter is poised to challenge Juventus next season and could make a deeper run in the Champions League with Messi. Coach Antonio Conte would have to change his 3-5-2, or the team would have to sell Lautaro Martinez, who is ironically linked to Barcelona, to accommodate Messi in the current setup.
Manchester City
Could Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi reunite in Manchester?
It’s very possible. Manchester City is constructing a plan to sign Messi without breaching financial fair play rules. Of course, if no fee is required, it would be a relatively moot point. They’d be able to afford the wages without much worry.
This is easily the most ideal fit for Messi. Former Barcelona executives like Txiki Begiristain (director of football) and Ferran Soriano (CEO) are part of the sporting structure at Man City, plus Messi’s obviously familiar with Guardiola’s system.
If Messi joined City, they could become a dominant force in Europe, which the club’s hierarchy desperately desires.
