25 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Even if he is the best player in the world and even if he does leave Barca in the current market is there really going to be many clubs who could bankroll a deal for him? 

At 33 he's still likely to sign a 4 year contract if he moved and would instantly become the best paid player at whichever club he goes to. He's rumoured to earn 500,000k per week on his current Barca deal, so let's so he signed on similar terms that over £100m on wages alone before you start adding in sign on fees, loyalty bonuses, agent fees etc. 

Don't get me wrong, any team in the world wants Messi to play for them but when it comes to actually financing a deal most sides wouldn't be able to commit to that financial package. 

The City sheik would love an opportunity to rub it in UEFA's faces after the recent verdict. They've already spent over 60m on Ferran Torres and Ake, but signing Messi would be like wiping their asses with FFP guidelines in front of Infantino while humming the Champions League anthem.

We are never going to sign him, but just for fun I'd love to see him in the EPL, just to prove the can't play on a wet Wednesday night at Burnley theory.

I see various tabloids are reporting that he already phoned uncle Pep and is likely to join City. I assume this is based entirely on their history at Barcelona rather than anything factual.

4 minutes ago, icecoolguy22 said:

We are never going to sign him, but just for fun I'd love to see him in the EPL, just to prove the can't play on a wet Wednesday night at Burnley theory.

I certainly hope not. I would rather forego the flashes of brilliance around the box in order to have a less skillful but a whole footballer. I prefer to watch committed footballers who can show moments of sublime skill and teamwork on the ball, but also work for their teammates off the ball. It would drive me to distraction watching him lose possession, as he undoubtedly would on occasion  from the crowding out most teams would employ, to then just stand there hands on hips making no attempt to tackle or retrieve possession, whilst his teammates are then under the cosh. We are too young and too incomplete to be able to carry luxury players that refuse to work for the team.

Typical Messi BS...trying to maintain his dominance in Barca against Koleman's new radical agenda...there is not a snowball's chance in hell he's moving on...just wait and see...

39 minutes ago, chi blue said:

Yes, soon as I heard last night I said Juve

Highly unlikely that Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi will tolerate each other in the same team.

Jokes aside he’ll either stay or it’ll be Man City in my opinion. If nothing else for Man City the shirt sales will be immense. 

38 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

I certainly hope not. I would rather forego the flashes of brilliance around the box in order to have a less skillful but a whole footballer. I prefer to watch committed footballers who can show moments of sublime skill and teamwork on the ball, but also work for their teammates off the ball. It would drive me to distraction watching him lose possession, as he undoubtedly would on occasion  from the crowding out most teams would employ, to then just stand there hands on hips making no attempt to tackle or retrieve possession, whilst his teammates are then under the cosh. We are too young and too incomplete to be able to carry luxury players that refuse to work for the team.

Honestly, Messi would take this team onto a whole new level. Even if they put 3 players on Messi they still won’t be able to stop him, and that also frees up space for the likes of Havertz, Werner, Pulisic etc. Our team would be absolutely lethal.

I just have visions of him turning up to his next club, starting well before fizzling out and doing an Ozil with his contract. Once that runs out, straight to Newells and finally back to barca in a corporate capacity.

It’s such a difficult situation with signing Messi be he is one of the greatest players ever to have lived. However, for the money you spend on him, you’ll could buy a younger player with 6/7 years of peak talent. 
 

There is also the added element of the control Messi clearly experts over the club. What he wants, he gets, and that doesn’t bode well for a young slightly inexperienced manager. 
 

Seeing Messi in a Chelsea strip would be insane though. 

Odds are 80:1 that he joins Leeds. Worth a flutter?

Part of me hopes that, if he does go to City, Barca force them to pay his release clause, or force them to put up huge amount of cash. But in reality, I'd rather Messi did not go to City so that means he's probably going to end up there for like some stupid cheap fee

It's a power play. He does this every few years to sate his ego.

He'll get kicked to pieces in the Premier League. 

He won't come.

I dont think we will be signing him with wages like this unless he takes a huge paycut:-

Quote

Messi’s fixed salary totals £64m (€71m) but bonuses for signing, for staying, and for winning trophies takes the figure well above that.

Just by playing 60 per cent of games until the 2021 date his contract ends sees Messi earn on average £95m (€106m) a season but the potential – if he were to win the treble and win FIFA's player of the year award – exists to push the final figure over the £110m (€122m) mark.

 

I think he'll stay at Barca but if he did come to England, City is the logical destination given the number of ex-Barca people there. Won't matter because even Messi won't get them the CL.

I'd love to see him at Juve, a Swansong with  Ronaldo, boy they'd shift some shirts, Apparently 550k+  when CR7 signed for Juve😮😮😮

As a matter of interest, as an Argentine national and a convicted criminal would he be successful in getting a visa to come to the UK?

12 hours ago, big blue said:

Really solid argument. 

Maybe were all on crack?

Is messi on crack? 

Has messi cracked? 

Hmmm interesting....

i don´t need to argue with someone that thinks messi doesnt have a place in  Manchester City´s team because of aguero, or anywhere else for that matter.
You didn´t answer me, are you on crack?

27 minutes ago, Montessori said:

i don´t need to argue with someone that thinks messi doesnt have a place in  Manchester City´s team because of aguero, or anywhere else for that matter.
You didn´t answer me, are you on crack?

He is back again. 

An opinion on where messi would fit into city's team seems to be beyond your comprehension. 

I wouldve happily put forward an adult debate about it, after all, talking about football is what this forum is all about. 

You dont seem to be able to put forward an argument, other than asking whether i am on drugs. 

Why is that? Do you have some problems in your personnel life that you are trying to project on me? 

I am sorry for you if you have been effective by drug abuse in your life, maybe this is the wrong type of forum for you. 

 

If we do buy Havertz there is no starting place for Messi, though I don't think we would buy him anyway re the money and age.

Of course then there is the legal situation with Barca and I think if they refuse him a move or put a huge fee on him I think he will just sit on the bench in disgust.

Interestingly he has been sending his children to an English school in Barcelona...

2 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

If we do buy Havertz there is no starting place for Messi, though I don't think we would buy him anyway re the money and age.

Of course then there is the legal situation with Barca and I think if they refuse him a move or put a huge fee on him I think he will just sit on the bench in disgust.

If you ask me it's still better for him to stay and sit on the bench. He's their captain and legend, leaving the team in this way would be very damaging for his image and career, the captain shouldn't abandon the ship in such a way even if it's sinking. Or specially if it's sinking...

Edited August 26, 20205 yr by Gol15

48 hours?

Messi is still the best player in any league he joins. He is just that good. Forget his age, he will be excellent for 4-5 years at least.