As shockwaves were sent through football with the news that Lionel Messi will be ending his 18-year career with Barcelona, we assess why the Argentine should switch from sunny Spain to the equally bright and beautiful Manchester.
However, instead of joining Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, there are five clear reasons why Messi should choose to play for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United...
1. Messi is box office for Old Trafford
We're all familiar with what Ed Woodward loved in a signing.
The acquisition of Paul Pogba was big enough. Jadon Sancho’s recent transfer to United also broke Twitter.
But United could dream even bigger now, even with Woodward leaving. Messi would be the blockbuster signing that he always craved. Not only would he perform on the pitch, but commercially, he’d sell shirts and make headlines.
United are the biggest club in England. It would show the world you still mean business.
Furthermore, only a few clubs in Europe can afford to pay his wage demands of £1million every week. United could if they really wanted to.
As Woodward will be stepping down as CEO at Old Trafford, the perfect player to sign whilst heading out of the door, is Messi.
How does Woodward cloud some of the mistakes he's made in the past? Simply sign Lionel Messi.
2. A forward line fit enough to bring title number 21 back to Old Trafford
Should Messi sign for United, he would be joining, on paper, one of the most young and exciting teams in Europe.
Messi would be able to turn the likes of Sancho and Marcus Rashford into global superstars, while also settling in with United’s Spanish and South American heroes.
United have also been recruiting players with the right mentality and Messi fits the bill completely.
Who wouldn’t want to join a team that already boasts superstars like Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Raphaël Varane? These are also Adidas ambassadors!
At United, Messi would be able to play off the right in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, whilst possessing an ability to play just behind the striker or as a false nine.
This would give Solskjaer yet another different way of playing.
He’d also be the main man at the club and United’s youth would be able to learn so much from him.
Also, what better way to say you’re the world’s greatest footballer by going to the club where your main rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, made his name? Should he create his own legacy, he could finally define himself as the greatest.
3. The Messi-Shaw link-up
At Barcelona, Messi tends to draw defenders inside, leaving huge spaces on either flank for the full-backs.
Jordi Alba is so good at bombing forward inside the pockets of space at the Camp Nou and Luke Shaw has recently emerged as one of the standout performers in his position, due to both his attacking and defensive abilities.
Messi would be able to replicate the same relationship he had with Alba, but utilise it to his advantage with Shaw.
'Shawberto Carlos' would also take his game to an even higher level.
To see them both create a bromance would be so weird, but absolutely spectacular!
4. He’d probably get the no.10 shirt
I know. Marcus Rashford deserves United’s No.10 shirt. No one deserves it more than him.
In 2018, Rashford was handed the number after Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
But, knowing the kind personality that Rashford possesses, one would assume that he’d happily hand over his shirt number to arguably the greatest No.10 that’s ever played.
5. Messi would be able to get the best matchday food at Old Trafford
There’s only one place for Messi to be before a big match... Lou Macari’s Fish and Chips!!
If he needs some grub to settle the matchday nerves, why not get some of the best scran down him?
If that doesn’t take his fancy, I’m not too sure Old Trafford is the right fit for him.
Although, the twisty mozzarella pizza wraps inside the stadium are also tasty, so he has plenty of options!
Whatever Messi chooses in his next step, he probably won’t have a better time to come to the Premier League. It would be fantastic to see him in England - just not at City.
