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So the great Lionel Messi, with six World Player of the Year (FIFA Ballon d’Or) awards, 10 La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League winners’ medals and a plethora of other footballing awards to his name, wants to go to England.
Specifically, the Argentine forward hopes to go to Manchester City, according to ESPN, and spoke with City manager Pep Guardiola about his intentions after the 8-2 massacre of the Catalan giant Barcelona at the hands of eventual champion Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals. final. from the Champions League last week.
All that stands in the way of Messi’s move to the Etihad is a € 700 million (S $ 1.13 billion) release clause.
At 33, Messi is already in the twilight of his career and has passed his prime. We are not saying that it is not yet a powerful soccer force.
But 700 million euros?
Seriously, I wouldn’t pay more than € 70 million, even if I had a Saudi passport or owned a company that tampered with images on my website to include Barack Obama.
Manchester City, however, may be more inclined to shell out whatever amount is necessary to acquire the services of the aging superstar, and they know how to do it to stay within UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, or at least how to break the rules without being punished too much.
Messi’s move to Manchester, if it happens, would be a huge boost for City. Not just because their sublime skills will give them an edge and perhaps help them in their quest to win that Champions League title that always seems to elude them, but because their presence may win the team some real fans at last, and not just those who. I don’t want Liverpool to win anything.
Messi, however, is adamant about leaving the club he represents since 2004. According to the BBC, he sent Barcelona a fax (which is so charming old-school) on Tuesday indicating his desire to apply a clause in his contract that It would allow to leave the club in a free transfer. However, Barcelona say the clause expired on June 10, but Messi believed the clause should be extended to cover a prolonged season due to the coronavirus epidemic.
It looks like a legal battle is going to take place between Messi’s lawyer and Barcelona, but if a Messi’s win is in Manchester City’s interest, his legal team could provide the help to secure his move. Hell, they could probably argue that Catalonia belongs to Manchester and secure Manchester’s readmission to the European Union while they’re at it.
But would moving to Manchester City be the right thing to do for Messi, with only a year before his contract with Barcelona expires, to do?
In July last year, long before coronavirus was a thing and long before COVID-19 had a name, I said Messi should spend his remaining days as a player on the Manchester City bench. (Yes, Football Siao saw signs of this happening even before this extended season began.)
Messi, however, will find life at Manchester City very different from his days in Barcelona. While the Spanish team is obviously organized around him, he would probably have to fight for his place in Guardiola’s team.
I’m not suggesting that Messi should abandon the idea of moving to Manchester, but perhaps going to Old Trafford, rather than Etihad Stadium, would be a much more meaningful option.
He could lead the relatively young Manchester United in his later seasons as a competitive footballer. It could encourage and inspire the rising talents among its ranks and perhaps even lead them to a domestic league or European title.
Uncle Lionel would get many more privileges at United than at Manchester City or Barcelona; The threat of their withdrawal was a sore point for him, prompting his transfer request from Barcelona. He would easily fit into the starting eleven of any United setup, and his presence would likely see players like Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, Daniel James and Anthony Martial elevate their game to their full potential. Even the fickle Bruno Fernandes could learn a thing or two from the Argentine superstar.
Now is the best time for Messi to make that move. He could take away the captain’s armband from the troubled Harry Maguire, precipitate the maturity of the new Red Devils and win billions more fans before retiring while playing in a league that is far more exciting and competitive than La Liga.
So please, Messi. Move to Old Trafford, where United fans still wonder if they will ever have Jadon Sancho on their side, welcome you with open arms, and while United still have him in their coffers to accommodate him.
And do it before a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, your great rival for many seasons in La Liga, decides to return to the place that catapulted him to stardom.
