The year 2003 was one of the most iconic years in football as it was the year of many great stories and debuts. From Jose Mourinho’s Porto defying all odds to become the kings of Europe to long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo‘s move to Manchester United. It also marked the introduction of one of the greatest to ever play our game, Lionel Messi. Fast forward to 2020, is its end of an era and should Messi leave Barcelona?
Should Messi Leave Barcelona?
No one imagined the young Argentinian with height issues to ever break into Barcelona’s first-team, let alone achieve the title of being the club’s greatest player of all-time. After 17 years and six Ballon d’Or awards, the four-time Champions League winning star’s future at Barcelona has come into serious question. So, should Messi leave Barcelona?
Barcelona’s Collapse
The Catalan club’s struggles are well-documented as their decline began not so long ago. The situation is a result of reckless financial decisions by the higher power, spearheaded by the then Barcelona president Josip Bartomeu. During this time, the club’s internal structure took a turn for the worse as the club’s youth academy La Masia lost the ability to produce talent for the future. As a consequence, this ruptured the foundations of a club which possessed many ageing stars ranging from the likes of Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, and the one Lionel Messi. The club’s collapse started to accelerate when the club failed to efficiently utilize the world record transfer fee received from the sale of Neymar in 2017. The end of Bartomeu’s tenure coincided with Messi’s decision to leave Catalunya for the first time in his career.
The Failed Transfer
In the summer of 2020, the six-time champions league club fell victim to an embarrassing 8-2 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich. On the back of such a tragic setback, Barcelona’s all-time leading top scorer found the need to put an end to his time with the La Liga giants, but the club’s refusal of the supposed transfer request finally proved otherwise.
The End?
The highly-publicized transfer story from last summer is yet to have an end, with next summer being the possible time for the legend to finally bid farewell to the club, which he has often referred to as his home. While the departure could help in sealing a new challenge, it could also end his time at a club which he joined when he was just 13-years old.
Issues At The Nou Camp
Barcelona’s issues on and off the pitch mean the club are far from being back. With the clock ticking, one might assume that it is time for the 33-year old to call it quits and move on to a club that helps him in ending his career on a good note. On the other side, it could mean that the ever committed Barcelona legend might never get to walk into the sunset as a Barcelona player. The prospect of watching Messi in a shirt without the blue and red stripes on it has often been a bittersweet experience for even the rival fans, who believe he is synonymous with the club. Regardless, the transfer looks more likely than not.
Where Could He Go?
The Argentinian will not be short of offers, with many clubs having already placed an enquiry for the player in question. Despite being one of the highest-paid stars in the world, clubs across Europe intend to ward off interest from other clubs to secure the signing of the world’s most sought-after star. The possible destinations include Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, who reportedly are willing to go all out to complete the deal.
The Final Say
The subject of Messi’s departure has left many people, including fans scratching their heads. The times have never been harder for the Nou Camp side as they look to recover from their recent setbacks. Whether they recover with their talisman or not is uncertain, but for all we know, he is a Barcelona legend who still wishes to leave the club in a better state than what it was in when he first started, although the prospect of that looks grim.
Main Image Credit