"Lionel Messi wanted me to come to Barcelona" - Tottenham Hotspur defender
Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero has revealed that Lionel Messi wanted him to join Barcelona this summer. The Argentine attracted attention from several top clubs and eventually joined Spurs after they agreed a deal with Atalanta.
Romero was with the Argentina national team this summer and shared the dressing room with Messi. The defender put in some stellar performances for his country and helped them win the Copa America in Brazil.
His displays impressed Messi and the Argentine forward asked him to move to Camp Nou. However, Barcelona did not make a move for the €55 million rated centre-back and he joined Tottenham instead. Messi, on the other hand, left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain after his contract with the Spanish club could not be renewed.
“The fact that Messi would want me in his team, and that he wanted me to come to Barcelona is amazing," Romero told Radio AM 550. "The team that PSG have built is crazy. I’m a bit sad about how Leo left Barcelona, I thought he would have stayed there forever. I wish him all the best, he’s a great person and hopefully he can win everything alongside the other Argentinians there.”
"More fear when Lionel Messi was here" - Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman
Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has admitted opponents no longer fear the Spanish giants now that Lionel Messi has left the club.
He was quoted by Marca as saying:
“I don’t like to always talk about the same thing, but we’re talking about the best in the world. Our opponents had more fear when Messi was here. For us as well, if you pass the ball to Leo, usually he won’t lose it. You can tell [Messi] isn’t there. We know that and we can’t change it.”
Barcelona are third in La Liga at the moment. They won their opening game of the season against Real Sociedad before drawing at Athletic Bilbao. They face Getafe at home on Saturday before the international break.