4 Times Lionel Messi reportedly asked Barcelona to sign a player
Lionel Messi has been right at the heart of most of Barcelona's enormous success over the last decade or so. The Argentine came through the ranks at La Masia and made his breakthrough under former manager Pep Guardiola. Messi went from being an exciting young prospect to the best player in the world, and now — six Ballons d'Or later — is one of the greatest players to have ever set foot onto the pitch.
To have a player of such immeasurable talent among a team's ranks, it is a given that the personnel playing alongside him have to be of a certain standard as well. That, unfortunately, has been something of a let down from Barcelona in recent years, at least from Messi's perspective.
For every successful signing, such as Luis Suarez — who came to the club as a talented marksman and went on to become one of the greatest Blaugrana players ever — there have been a handful of poor signings such as Kevin-Prince Boateng, Aleix Vidal, and worst of all, Philippe Coutinho.
There have also reportedly been instances where Messi himself has made requests to the board to bring certain players to the Nou Camp. Here, we take a look at four such players that the iconic Blaugrana skipper has allegedly requested Barcelona to sign.
#4 Lautaro Martinez | Inter Milan
The most recent of the four players on this list, Lautaro Martinez, has been well-documented as Barcelona's priority signing this summer. The Argentine striker is one of the most exciting young talents in Europe this year, and has emerged as the ideal candidate for the Catalans to replace Luis Suarez.
Messi was evidently impressed by his young compatriot, who has shared the pitch with him while on international duty. The 33-year-old heaped praise on Lautaro, saying;
"He's [Lautaro] very good, he dribbles well, scores a lot of goals, fight with anyone, works hard, turns things around, look for the ball. He's very complete."
However, the Barcelona captain also maintained that he isn't aware of any ongoing negotiations for the Inter Milan striker who scored 25 goals for club and country this season.
"To be honest, I don't know if there are negotiations underway at the moment for him [Lautaro]."
According to Adrian Ruben Fernandez, the man who spotted Lautaro as a young South American playing in Argentina, Messi personally called El Toro to come play next to him at Barcelona. Speaking to Sport, he said;
"Messi called him and wants him by his side soon, I have no doubt. For that reason, the deal to sign him is almost there."
With Luis Suarez now reportedly set to leave Barcelona for Ajax, a move for Lautaro could very well be on the cards for Barcelona. More so, it would have a significant impact on their captain, who was evidently eager to play alongside his fellow Argentine.
Also read: 5 players who destroyed their parent clubs when on loan