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Start the car; Lionel Messi wants to leave Barcelona.
Europe’s best clubs will be lining up to secure the talented attacker in what still seems like a surreal fever dream. We’ve all tried it once, signing Messi into Football Manager or FIFA, well now the opportunity has arisen in the most important game of all, real life, and you’d have a hard time finding a Chelsea fan who would turn down the chance to secure it.
It’s a summer of change at Stamford Bridge with Roman Abramovich showing his ambition for Chelsea to return to the top of the Premier League. The club has already secured deals for Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, while reports suggest the club is close to securing Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Kai Havertz.
Messi would be an unexpected advantage for any signing, but where would he fit into Frank Lampard’s plans? Here are the three main options.
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(4-3-3): Kepa Arrizabalga, Reece James, Antonio Rudiger, Fikayo Tomori, Ben Chilwell, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Kai Havertz, Lionel Messi, Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner.
Messi has spent most of his trophy-laden career playing on the right with a view to intervening. There is no reason why he cannot operate in the same role for Chelsea, but it would come with some critical conditions.
He would not be a traditional winger in the sense that his defensive contribution would be minimal. That would put more defensive responsibility on Christian Pulisic, and even Timo Werner. That said, his ability to move inside, drive the ball through the lines and connect Chelsea’s attack from wide open positions would be incredibly useful for Lampard.
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(4-3-3): Kepa Arrizabalga, Reece James, Antonio Rudiger, Fikayo Tomori, Ben Chilwell, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner, Lionel Messi
This might be the best stylistic fit, with Messi operating more like a false nine than a traditional forward in this role. One of the main problems he has had in Barcelona recently has led him to try to be both a creator and a finisher. It may seem superhuman, but not even Messi can reach the end of his own passes.
This role would allow him to dive deep, dragging center-backs with him, while Werner and Pulisic fill that space with smart runs between winger and center-back. It would lighten Messi’s defensive load and give him the freedom to impact the game from a variety of positions on the field.
It could also open up spaces for your unopposed teammates willing to give you space and time to operate.
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A.M
(4-4-2): Kepa Arrizabalga, Reece James, Antonio Rudiger, Fikayo Tomori, Ben Chilwell, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner, Tammy Abraham, Lionel Messi
When we look at Messi’s career, he has occasionally operated as a second forward / support forward, in a 4-4-2 with Luis Suárez. If Lampard wanted to play an aggressive pressure system away from home against the other six teams, this might be a good idea.
It keeps structure, it allows Messi to contribute a bit on defense, but it also keeps him in the last third where he can influence things without the need to actively follow runners and scoreboards. In reality, the team would line up with a 4-4-2 out of possession but it would be more of a 4-4-1-1, with Messi floating down the field to connect with the wide band players and the forward.
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