5 players who could replace Lionel Messi at Barcelona
Lionel Messi has left Barcelona. In news that shocked the footballing world, the Catalan club announced last night that the Argentine superstar was no longer a Barcelona player.
The 34-year old is Barcelona's greatest ever player and arguably the greatest of all time. Lionel Messi's departure has been a surprising development, given that reliable reports suggested the forward was set to sign a new deal with the club.
It remains to be seen what Messi's new destination will be. The usual suspects, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, have been linked with his signature. But they could face some competition as every top European club will be keen to sign Lionel Messi on a free transfer.
Here, we look at five players who could replace Lionel Messi at Barcelona.
#5 Ansu Fati | Barcelona
Ansu Fati is a prodigious young talent who has already had a sizeable impact at the senior level and is heralded by many to be Barcelona's future,
Ever since his emergence, Fati has been touted as Lionel Messi's heir. The 18-year old made his debut for the Camp Nou outfit in 2019. He also became Barcelona's youngest ever goalscorer when he scored his first professional goal in a 2-2 draw against Osasuna that year.
Since then, Fati has not looked back. In 43 appearances in all competitions for the Blaugrana, the Spain international has scored 13 goals and provided five assists. Last season was a disappointing one for Fati, as injuries saw the young star make only 10 appearances in all competitions. With Messi seemingly gone, the pressure on Fati's shoulders is only bound to increase.
#4 Memphis Depay | Barcelona
Barcelona's transfer record in recent years has been poor, to say the least. But signing Memphis Depay on a free transfer this summer could prove to be a masterstroke.
A highly-rated talent during his PSV Eindhoven days, Depay struggled to get going at Manchester United, eventually joining Lyon in January 2017. The Netherlands international was world-class for the Ligue 1 giants; in 178 appearances in all competitions, Depay scored 76 goals and provided 56 assists.
Given Depay's sensational form for Lyon, it was not surprising to see top European clubs circling the forward once more. Barcelona secured his signature earlier this summer, and the 27-year old could become the club's most important attacker next season in the absence of Lionel Messi.
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