Leo Messi’s fax to FC Barcelona on Tuesday night left the soccer world reeling as the game’s top star made his decision to leave his lifetime club public.
Now, after making it clear that he wants to move on to another club, a handful of teams around the world are now jockeying for the Argentinian superstar’s signature.
So, which teams would be the best fit for Messi in a possible transfer? Let’s take a look at his top options.
1. Manchester City
The top choice for Leo Messi is, in my opinion, the one which has gained the most traction since his Tuesday night announcement. Manchester City, who is coached by Messi’s former boss at Barcelona in Pep Guardiola, is one of the continent’s top teams and a perfect option for the diminutive goalscorer.
Messi would have the chance to try his luck in arguably the best league in the world with Manchester City and would look to win his third Champions League under the Catalan manager.
With players like Kevin de Bruyne, fellow Albiceleste Sergio Aguero, Riyad Mahrez, and Raheem Sterling surrounding him in the City attack, this would immediately become the most potent attacking team on the planet. As we know, Man City’s owners have deep pockets and could make the huge cash splash necessary to bring in Messi.
2. Paris Saint-Germain
PSG came up just short in the Champions League final last Sunday, falling to Bayern Munich. However, the future appears bright for the Ligue 1 powerhouses, and adding Messi could be the final piece of the puzzle.
As we all know, the Messi-Neymar connection worked brilliantly at Barcelona, and this spark could be rekindled if the two ended up together at PSG. Add Kylian Mbappe and Argentina teammate Angel di Maria to the mix, and it would be hard to not deem PSG to be the Champions League favorites in years to come.
Could Messi be convinced to go to France? It doesn’t seem out of the question.
3. Inter Milan
There have been rumors that Messi is interesting in heading to Serie A to join Inter Milan, which wouldn’t be the worst move for Messi as he could look to rekindle his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Inter has looked to be on the cusp of big things recently, with the 2010 Champions League winners coming in 2nd place in Serie A and finishing as Europa League runners-up this year.
Inter Milan doesn’t have the star power of PSG or Manchester City, but they do have a highly-respected coach in Antonio Conte and a mix of veteran experience and young talent that could appeal to the superstar.
Would Messi make a move to a smaller club than Barcelona? It’s hard to say, but we can’t rule it out.
