Lionel Messi replacement identified as Barcelona prepare stunning spending spree
Lionel Messi is impact at Barcelona since making his debut in 2004 has been nothing short of extraordinary. With 6 Ballon d'Or awards and several other records to his name, Lionel Messi leads La Liga's all-time charts for goals as well as assists.
At the age of 31, Lionel Messi is still going strong and continues to play a key role for Barcelona as well as the national team. However, Express Sport report that Barcelona have begun planning for the future and have identified two players to replace their legendary talisman.
The Blaugrana have come to terms with the fact that Lionel Messi cannot be replaced by a single player, as his contributions in terms of scoring as well as playmaking remain unmatched.
However, the Catalan giants believe that Lautaro Martinez and Neymar can play alongside Lionel Messi and eventually replace him when he calls it a day.
Being Lionel Messi's compatriot, Martinez has long been linked with a move to the La Liga giants, and it looks likely that he will sign for the club. Inter Milan are demanding a fee believed to be in the region of £80 million, but Barcelona are unwilling to cede to their demands as things stand.
However, there is a sense of cautious optimism amongst the Barcelona camp with regard to Lautaro Martinez's move to the Camp Nou. Lionel Messi has combined well with the young striker for the national team, and their partnership could blossom further if they were to be teammates at club level.
Lautaro, Neymar identified as Lionel Messi's heirs
On the other hand, Neymar's return to Barcelona is expected to be one of the most complex operations in the history of the game. The mercurial Brazilian secured a world-record switch to Paris-Saint Germain in 2017 in order to escape Lionel Messi's shadow at Barcelona.
Neymar has taken Ligue 1 by storm and formed a fruitful partnership with Kylian Mbappe in the French capital. However, there have been reports that he favours a return to Barcelona to reunite with Lionel Messi, who he was earmarked to replace upon signing for the Catalan giants in 2013.
Both players are high up on Barcelona's shortlist and it remains to be seen if they sign for the club this summer. With Antoine Griezmann misfiring and the likes of Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele struggling with injuries, Lionel Messi has been a lone warrior upfront for Barcelona this season.
Lionel Messi has spearheaded Barcelona to the La Liga summit and leads the league for goals as well as assists as things stand. However, Real Madrid are hot on their heels and find themselves just two points behind the Catalan giants.
La Liga is expected to resume this month after a two-month hiatus owing to the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe. Barcelona needs Lionel Messi at his brilliant best if they are to retain their La Liga crown and progress further in the UEFA Champions League.