All it takes is a spark to light a fire, and that may very well have been the case in Spain with Barcelona and superstar Lionel Messi.
Soccer’s biggest superstar reportedly wants out after being benched by manager Luis Enrique during the team’s loss to Real Sociedad on Jan. 4. Messi was apparently livid and expressed his displeasure by not showing up at the training grounds the following morning. The speculation of a move has been rampant over the past week – including the media overblowing Messi’s social media clicks, such as his decision to follow Chelsea’s Instagram account.
Everybody wants to know if Messi will leave Barcelona and if he does, where will he go? We’ve had a look at all of the possible destinations and the following three are the ones that make the most sense.
Chelsea
The Blues are battling for top spot in the Premier League as well as more Champions League hardware, and would love to acquire the services of another world-class striker. Roman Abramovich has plenty of cash to make a move and his penchant for making big name acquisitions is well known. There’s some added incentive as Jose Mourinho would relish the opportunity to steal one of his old adversary’s best players and Messi would likely welcome a move to a team that might have enough weapons to take down Barcelona. The only real option for Messi to stay in Spain is a move to Real Madrid, which doesn’t appear likely, so he’ll have to look to another country to fit his needs. Perhaps Chelsea is the best fit in terms of meeting all of the requirements that both Messi and his current club might have to get a deal done.
Bayern Munich
Messi might like the opportunity to play for Pep Guardiola one more time as he enjoyed his best years at Barcelona under the watch of his former manager. Bayern is the other team on this list that has enough weapons to challenge Barcelona on the Champions League stage.
Though they already have an embarrassment of riches up front with Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, and Robert Lewandowski, there is no doubt a player of Messi’s stature would be a welcome addition from both a talent and public relations standpoint. A potential move to the Bundesliga giants would not be a question of need but rather one of desire as they look to build on what is already one of the most talented clubs in Europe. There are some questions as to whether Messi would want to play in Germany, though.
Manchester City
Another club that has the financial backing to acquire Messi’s services is Manchester City – even though they would have to find a way to work out a deal with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play restrictions in mind.
City’s Director of Football Txiki Bigiristain is a former Barcelona man and has worked with Messi before, so there is a bit of a relationship. It would be interesting to see whether the presence of fellow countryman Sergio Aguero actually lends itself to a move to Manchester City or whether it works against an attempted acquisition – especially considering the two have struggled to find their form together when playing for Argentina. Regardless, the Citizens continue to be a name that comes up in the mix for Messi’s services.
Manchester City just acquired Wilfred Bony, which might complicate this move somewhat but based on the finances and City’s desire for big name signings, it’s the right type of a fit. It’s interesting to note that while Manchester United is usually the team that’s known for having infinite budgets and signing the biggest names, it’s City that’s in the rumors for Messi.
Regardless, it’s important to remember Messi’s status in the world as one of the two best players, it’s difficult to envision a team not finding ways to accommodate his acquisition at almost all costs.
