For long, Lionel Messi has been Barcelona’s go-to man in the hours of distress, but in the wake of a shambolic 8-2 defeat in the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League, the Argentine could potentially leave the Catalan giants.
Since arriving at an early age, Messi has established himself as one of the most influential players in the history of Barcelona.
The left-footed magician has been the epitome of Barcelona’s attack for over a dace now, and a symbol to the La Liga club’s resilience and fighting spirit.
However, shambolic mismanagement and inappropriate planning have caused Barcelona so much that even the greatness of Lionel Messi couldn’t rescue the club from suffering humiliating defeats in the biggest of stages in recent years.
Starting from the disaster in Rome in 2017-18, when Barcelona surrendered a three-goal advantage to get knocked out by AS Roma, it has been a tale of sad stories only.
Anfield followed next season as Liverpool eliminated the Catalan giants, orchestrating one of the greatest ever comebacks in the history of football.
And more recently, it was Bayern Munich, who handed Barcelona their biggest defeat in the European stage by shattering the Catalans’ hope of bringing their glory days back.
As a matter of fact, for the first time ever, it seems realistic that Lionel Messi could walk out of Barcelona in search of a new club, who can use his potential to the fullest.
So, let us have a look at the top three potential destinations for Lionel Messi, if he walks out of the door at the Camp Nou.
#3 Inter Milan
For the last few seasons, Inter Milan’s name have popped out time and again to be a likely destination for Lionel Messi.
In fact, prior to Barcelona’s humiliating defeat against Bayern, multiple reports in Italy suggested that the Argentine is interested in plying his trade in Serie A, and Inter might be his next possible destination as they have the resources to pull off such a high-profile move.
Given their enriched history and Messi’s compatriot, Javier Zanetti being the vice-president of the club, Inter seem to be a rational option for the 33-year-old if he indeed decides to try his luck in Italy.
A move to Inter would also mean that Lionel Messi could team-up with fellow Argentine Lautaro Martinez for Antonio Conte’s side.
Lastly, it will also resume his old rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, who shocked the whole world by joining Juventus two years back.
#2 Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain are counted amongst one of the wealthiest clubs in world football at the moment, and they seem to have all the resources to lure Lionel Messi away from Camp Nou.
According to various reports in the French media, the Argentine could follow the path of his dear friend Neymar, who left Barcelona for PSG in 2017 for a world-record fee.
From a footballing perspective, Messi could benefit from PSG’s highly ambitious nature of becoming one of the best clubs of the modern era.
In addition, a move to the French capital will offer Lionel Messi an opportunity to be a part of a devastating front-three alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
However, outside the Champions League, there is very little to play for at PSG, given their recent domestic dominance.
#1 Manchester City
If there is one side which seem an obvious and most likely destination for the Argentine wizard, it is Manchester City. Lionel Messi and Manchester City look like a match made in heaven right now.
Apart from the financial aspects, the Citizens can offer everything that Messi is currently striving for at Barcelona – a club which desperately want to win the Champions League, a strong squad, and to top it all, a world-class manager in the form of Pep Guardiola.
Above all, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner will also have the chance to embrace arguably the most competitive league in the world – the Premier League – if he decides to join the blue half of Manchester.
From Manchester City’s point of view, Lionel Messi could be their missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle as they strive for continental dominance.
Also Read: Have we seen the last of Lionel Messi at Barcelona?