Messi enters final countdown: The clubs we´d really love to see him join

It appears that, if Lionel Messi has his way, he will be playing for a new club before long.

The Barcelona captain and talisman told his employers he wanted to leave and, although the club won the battle in the previous transfer window, they may end up losing the war.

Messi is now entering the final six months of his contract and, unless a new deal is agreed soon, he could become perhaps the most sensational free transfer of all time in 2021.

Of course, tempting Messi away from Barca is by no means straightforward. His basic salary is said to be roughly €71million and, when you add in bonuses and other possible commitments, that represents a huge outlay on a player who turns 34 next June. Only a handful of clubs are even capable of pulling off such a deal, particularly in a financial landscape changed by COVID-19.

But what if, just for a minute, we imagine money is no object and Messi could play for anyone he chooses? What if the thrill of the game were more important to him than winning a fifth Champions League? What if he threw caution to the wind and went somewhere just for fun?

We’ve imagined such a scenario, and these are the teams we’d love to see him play for…

AJAX

The link between Ajax and Barca goes beyond the basics of football: it’s a shared ideology, a philosophical connection, a spiritual understanding.

From Johan Cruyff to Ronald Koeman, plenty of players and coaches have shared the love of both clubs, but Messi moving to Amsterdam would turn the romance up to 11.

Messi as the focal point of an Ajax side – who are beautiful to watch as it is – is a wonderful idea. Perhaps Luis Suarez could join him at his old club when the Uruguay star decides his time in LaLiga is over.

Plus, given the players they have signed from Ajax in the past – Frenkie de Jong and Sergino Dest the latest – Barca probably owe the Eredivisie club a transfer favour in return.

05/03 – On this day in 2019, Ajax won 4-1 against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu – the Spanish giants’ largest ever home defeat in the knockout stages of any European competition. Total. pic.twitter.com/w3hZWBLOVY

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 5, 2020

ATALANTA

Gian Piero Gasperini’s side captured the hearts of the football world in 2019-20, threatening a title challenge in Serie A and coming close to reaching the Champions League semi-finals.

They did all this on a modest budget, playing vibrant, attacking football, and all during a global pandemic that struck Bergamo and the Lombardy region harder than almost anywhere else in Europe.

The way Argentine Alejandro Gomez pulls the strings for Atalanta is a joy to watch, but it seems likely he will move on in January after a falling-out with his head coach.

Imagine if they signed Messi to replace him. Imagine them facing Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus. Imagine Marten de Roon’s Twitter feed.

Glorious, isn’t it?

24 – @Atalanta_BC have found the net in 24 successive Serie A matches, a new record for the club in the Italian top-flight. Overwhelming.#SerieATIM #MilanAtalanta pic.twitter.com/uzam37DgiF

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) July 24, 2020

COLOGNE

The GOAT and the Billy Goats – what could be better?

Cologne have gone through some tricky times but Markus Gisdol has done a good job in steadying the ship in the Bundesliga and was rewarded with a new contract until June 2023. However, with another relegation battle looking likely this season, they could do with a decisive signing or two to boost their survival chances.

They might not have won the title since 1978, but they are among Germany’s most esteemed clubs, with an ardent fan base and a beautiful home city. If Messi could lead them to challenge the big boys in the Bundesliga, it would be an unforgettable story.

If not… well, they have a goat as a mascot, for goodness’ sake. It’s too perfect.

#WorldAnimalDay

There aren’t many goats who get cheered on by 50,000 people every other weekend.

To you, Hennes!  #effzeh pic.twitter.com/XJyUljUdPc

— 1. FC Cologne (@fckoeln_en) October 4, 2019

LEEDS UNITED

It might be too early for Messi to return to Newell’s Old Boys, but what if he joined up with Rosario’s other most famous footballing export in Yorkshire?

Leeds United are back in the Premier League and have become the division’s great entertainers, having swept all before them in the Championship in 2019-20 under the stewardship of Marcelo Bielsa and his big blue bucket.

The chance to help awaken a sleeping giant of the English game while playing for the man who inspired Pep Guardiola sounds like an opportunity that’s too good to miss.

Plus, if he wanted to visit Sergio Aguero, Manchester is less than an hour away by train.

25 – Three of the five instances of a team having 25+ shots in a Premier League match this season have been Leeds United (vs Aston Villa, Arsenal and Newcastle tonight). Bielsaball. pic.twitter.com/4YPMwkOMr5

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 16, 2020

NEWELL’S OLD BOYS

What could be more magical than Messi returning to where it all began? A lifelong Newell’s fan, Messi was on their books as a youngster until they – and River Plate afterwards – were unable to pay for necessary growth hormone treatment.

Before then, as the story goes, Messi had scored nearly 500 goals in youth football for the club, and throughout his days as a professional he has been linked with a future move to Newell’s prior to retiring.

As recently as last year Messi expressed doubt that such a “dream” could ever happen due to the needs of his family.

It is the move football romanticists will want to see and, while unlikely, Messi did leave the door open: “I will try to convince the family.”

 

 

 

 

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NAPOLI

The Serie A move that would capture the imagination the most would be joining Napoli.

Not only would Messi’s arrival get one over on long-standing rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who would no longer be the solo big ticket in Serie A, it would give him the chance dispel some other demons.

For much of his career, Messi has contended with people saying he’s not at the level of Diego Maradona, the man who made Napoli kings of Italy.

Now that El Pibe de Oro has passed on, the sight of Messi leading Napoli to Scudetto glory at the stadium now bearing the name of his compatriot would be truly unforgettable.

The San Paolo making football history 

Maradona  Messi #ForzaNapoliSempre @FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/Q3Tseb6djK

— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) February 23, 2020