Messi's next club: place your bets!

Who will Messi join?


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sammsky1

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Looks like he will have to push hard to get a move, with Barcelona (and La Liga) digging in their heels.

Wonder if we'll see a public statement where he says what is obviously the truth: He doesn't want to play for Barcelona anymore because they're run by clowns, aren't competitive to win the CL and probably won't be for several years.

They can hold him to his contract if they really want to, he can do a Bale and just turn up for training so they have to pay him for doing nothing then leave for free at the end of the season. Question is if Barcelona are prepared to let him rot for a year and lose £150m in wages and transfer fee or not ? Or if Messi cracks if that is the only option on the table ?

Clearly the whole league suffers without Messi star power and the premier league will benefit, harder to get a good price for the La Liga TV rights, especially in present circumstances. That must be why we've got them already refusing to accept he can leave for free.
You nailed it. Let’s see what happens next!
 

MetoTTT

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He'll be going to Miami next season it seems. They have a deal with Beckham with a big financial package to barely pay taxes anymore. And the lifestyle. He feels persecuted by the Spanish tax authorities.
 

Isotope

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If only Messi developed asthma, Liverpool might be into him.
 

RashyForPM

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The only clubs he can go to who are arguably bigger than Barcelona are Real, us and Bayern, and the latter two don’t want to destroy the wage structure or can even afford him ;)

Personally would love to see it happen. Messi giving his last good years to Real Madrid will be hilarious.
 

RoyH1

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What can go wrong having a completely unmotivated superstar player, at odds with both board and manager brooding in the background?
Granted that Messi at 60% is better than 99.9% of players out there, but other than status and prestige, I don’t think Barsa wins anything here.
 

Web of Bissaka

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I say he's going to PSG!
They're still challenging CL every season, close to winning it last season and they do have strong squad and financial muscles. Good environment too I suppose for you and your family to lived in.

Doubt he fancy English football, working back with Pep is the only attraction but honestly I doubt he'll fit City's playstyle (?) nor team, City is still doing their tactical fouls right (? or maybe no more) and honestly I'm not sure how he can fit in with De Bruyne, their team need more energetic worker type of players to balance both.

Not sure Juve if willing to put more work in to balance their financial scale to accommodate both him and CR. I'm also not sure how their 11 is going to function properly with good team balance.

Bayern is similarly tight-financially if I'm not mistaken.
 

Morty_

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What is KDB going to if Messi joins?
KDB has the creative responsibility for City, but that would soon turn into giving Messi that role.

Sure, both could share the creative burden, but there is no doubt KDBs influence would lessen significantly with Messi there, and Messi isnt suddenly going to turn back into RW or false 9, those days are over now.
 

Pep's Suit

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What is KDB going to if Messi joins?
KDB has the creative responsibility for City, but that would soon turn into giving Messi that role.

Sure, both could share the creative burden, but there is no doubt KDBs influence would lessen significantly with Messi there, and Messi isnt suddenly going to turn back into RW or false 9, those days are over now.
Didn't KDB play next to David Silva, Premier League's best creative midfielder of last ten years?
 

Bubz27

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If you think we're going to create imaginary issues with signing Messi then you're absolutely correct.

34/35 years old, huge wage, never experienced another league, tougher league from top to bottom. He'll flop here.
 

Morty_

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Didn't KDB play next to David Silva, Premier League's best creative midfielder of last ten years?
I dont think you can compare Messi with actual midfielders, because Messi isn`t a midfielder.
Im not saying it cant work, but there is no doubt in my mind that KDB would take the backseat if Messi joined.
 

Kajus

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What am I missing here :confused:
There was a report a few weeks (months?) back that a ridiculously high percentage of liverpool players are diagnosed with asthma. It’s also a known practice in cycling amongst other sports to fake asthma because certain asthma medicine increases athlete’s endurance.
 

PepG

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If Messi joins City he will play as a false nine it is as obvious as it gets..now the tricky part is that means that Aguero's career at City is about to end despite the fact that these 2 are close friends and Messi will want to play with him together
 

Gehrman

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He seems like an odious little toad of a bloke.
Not really sure where all of this comes from. I don't doubt being regarded as the greatest or one of the greatest ever has probably made him pretty arrogant, but apart from his tax evasion, I can't really see what would make him less likable than other players.
 

adexkola

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There was a report a few weeks (months?) back that a ridiculously high percentage of liverpool players are diagnosed with asthma. It’s also a known practice in cycling amongst other sports to fake asthma because certain asthma medicine increases athlete’s endurance.
Oh shit
 

RedRonaldo

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I think he will probably stay in Barca. The whole previous Barca management has already gone, so there's no immediate reason for him to leave Barca, unless Barca is in financial trouble and could no longer maintain a team to win trophy, or afford his astronomical wage.

Moving to City he has to adapt to new country and surrounding all again, maybe bit of risky move at this stage of his career. But in Pep he will have the best manager who know how to utilize him, while City is the probably closet thing to the type of football he was most familiar with. So I wouldn't be surprise if he moves to City.
 

Zehner

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I think he will probably stay in Barca. The whole previous Barca management has already gone, so there's no immediate reason for him to leave Barca, unless Barca is in financial trouble and could no longer maintain a team to win trophy, or afford his astronomical wage.

Moving to City he has to adapt to new country and surrounding all again, maybe bit of risky move at this stage of his career. But in Pep he will have the best manager who know how to utilize him, while City is the probably closet thing to the type of football he was most familiar with. So I wouldn't be surprise if he moves to City.
As it seems he's tired of receiving all the blame at Barcelona. Even had an outburst recently towards a journalist at the airport. I could imagine he's had enough now and wants to leave regardless for this reason. Also the team is in a rebuilding phase and it could easily take more years than he has left to get back to the top. And if he's there duringbthat time, he'll get the blame for bad results.

That being said, him finishing his career at Barca is also possible and would be something for football romantics. I think the last player of this magnitude who spent his whole career at one club is Pele - and even he finally left to play in the MLS which will probably not happen with Messi.
 

MalcolmTucker

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You thought Messi was bad today? Seriously?
He was comfortably the best player on the pitch, just didn't get a goal.

The game last night was like a perfect allegory of Messi and Ronaldo in the CL in the last few years. Messi is the best player on the pitch but doesn't score and his team loses comfortably while Ronaldo gets two penalties and only touches the ball about 10 times.
 

Peyroteo

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He was comfortably the best player on the pitch, just didn't get a goal.

The game last night was like a perfect allegory of Messi and Ronaldo in the CL in the last few years. Messi is the best player on the pitch but doesn't score and his team loses comfortably while Ronaldo gets two penalties and only touches the ball about 10 times.
The difference is Ronaldo doesn't need much of the ball to make a difference. See the second goal or the second penalty.
 

Daysleeper

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He was comfortably the best player on the pitch, just didn't get a goal.

The game last night was like a perfect allegory of Messi and Ronaldo in the CL in the last few years. Messi is the best player on the pitch but doesn't score and his team loses comfortably while Ronaldo gets two penalties and only touches the ball about 10 times.
ronaldo only touched the ball five times. And you nailed it
 

Peyroteo

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Who do you think played better last night?
Messi did, but the circumstances of the game made it a lot easier for him to stand out after the 2-0.

Usually the forwards will have a harder time to show their quality if they barely have the ball in the opponents’ half because the team is defending an early lead.

Pretty sure Ronaldo had more defensive clearances than touches in Barca’s half after the 3-0
 

MalcolmTucker

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Messi did, but the circumstances of the game made it a lot easier for him to stand out after the 2-0.

Usually the forwards will have a harder time to show their quality if they barely have the ball in the opponents’ half because the team is defending an early lead.

Pretty sure Ronaldo had more defensive clearances than touches in Barca’s half after the 3-0
Agreed. Ronaldo even intercepted a Messi dribble after he nutmegged Cuardrado on the edge of the box which was an enjoyable little vignette.
 

Son

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It’s quite sad that the greatest of all time is linked to City and PSG.

They are the only teams who can afford him realistically. Both oil clubs and it really shows just what modern football has actually become.

I agree he will have to leave Barcelona but it’s a low end to his career and pretty sad demise at Barcelona.

It may make his story more interesting as he’s been like a football god since 19. Humbling in some ways. Messi & Barcelona are usually viewed as untouchable last 11 or so years so it’s hard to fathom him been just another player from now on.