5 players Barcelona could’ve signed to replace Lionel Messi
Former Barcelona star Lionel Messi is regarded by many as the best footballer ever to play the game. His absurd ease in dribbling past players or his guile to direct the ball wherever he wants is a skill possessed by few. After spending close to two decades at Nou Camp, Messi bid them farewell last summer.
It was a strange sight to watch Messi represent another club when he signed for Paris-Saint Germain (PSG). However, Barcelona had no one but themselves to blame for losing Messi.
The club had been driven to the ground both financially and in terms of a competitive squad by some poor management at board level. Messi's departure was increasingly inevitable.
What was even more baffling to understand was how Barcelona never had a contingency plan in place in case of Messi's departure. Their already falling standards plummeted to a free-drop in the months that followed Messi's exit.
On this day in 2010, Leo Messi became the youngest player to score a century of goals for Barcelona 🔵🔴 https://t.co/7DpWRyieTg
Barcelona are a big club, traditionally speaking. They have years of success, culture and heritage in European football. It was pitiful to watch them clutch at straws to replace Lionel Messi.
It is understandable that no club can find an overnight replacement for Lionel Messi. He is a magician. However, one would have expected Barcelona to have an alternative plan ready to tackle the crisis.
Maybe signing another proven goal-scorer in his prime? Maybe changing the football philosophy at the club? Or maybe even accepting that they are in a transition phase and bringing in top-level young talent. Barcelona chose to sign free agents Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay to replace Messi.
While Aguero was already on the wrong side of the 30s, Depay had never managed to prove his worth at a big club. Neither of them were ever going to replace Messi, who has registered 709 goals and 301 assists in 778 appearances for the Catalans.
On that note, let's look at five better prospective signings who might have been able to revive the goalscoring fun at Nou Camp.
#5 Sadio Mane | Liverpool
Sadio Mane has had an incredibly successful career in Europe. After starting off at Metz, he moved to Southampton where he announced his arrival in the Premier League.
A big move to Liverpool followed and Mane has since then gone on to become one of the best forwards in world football. He has won big trophies like the Premier League and the Champions League with the Reds.
However, Sadio Mane might still be unhappy due to the presence of Mohamed Salah. The sheer brilliance of the Egyptian has forced Mane to play second-fiddle, despite possessing an abundance of talent in his arsenal.
A move to Nou Camp might have allowed him to showcase his talent as the club's leading talisman. Mane could have arguably even taken up the number 10 jersey, which was previously worn by Messi himself.
STAT: Sadio Mané has scored five goals against Porto in the UEFA Champions League, the most by a Liverpool player against a single opponent in the competition. #awlive [opta]
📊 STAT: Sadio Mané has scored five goals against Porto in the UEFA Champions League, the most by a Liverpool player against a single opponent in the competition. #awlive [opta] https://t.co/lbjsbN5ZQV
He is on a good scoring run this season and has already found the back of the net 10 times in 26 games. He could have been the ideal solution for a Barcelona side bereft of attacking ideas.
#4 Lautaro Martinez | Inter Milan
At just 24 years old, the Argentine star has all the clinical brilliance of a poacher and the elegant dynamism of a key dribbler. Like Messi, Lautaro Martinez has a diminutive stature. However, the star is very capable of being an aerial threat in the box. He is highly creative and ruthless in the final third. Lautaro Martinez could have brought goals and assists to Camp Nou had Barcelona signed him last summer.
The Argentine star enjoyed a scintillating run of form last season, scoring 17 Serie A goals and helping Inter to a Scudetto title. This season, without Romelu Lukaku as his striking partner, Martinez has improved further, scoring an astonishing 11 goals in just 19 league games. Capable of scoring on a consistent basis, the 24-year-old would have been a good replacement for Lionel Messi at Barcelona