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Former Barcelona star Lionel Messi is regarded by many as the best footballer ever to play the game. His absurd ease in dribbling past players or his guile to direct the ball wherever he wants is a skill possessed by few. After spending close to two decades at Nou Camp, Messi bid them farewell last summer.
It was a strange sight to watch Messi represent another club when he signed for Paris-Saint Germain (PSG). However, Barcelona had no one but themselves to blame for losing Messi.
The club had been driven to the ground both financially and in terms of a competitive squad by some poor management at board level. Messi's departure was increasingly inevitable.
What was even more baffling to understand was how Barcelona never had a contingency plan in place in case of Messi's departure. Their already falling standards plummeted to a free-drop in the months that followed Messi's exit.
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Barcelona are a big club, traditionally speaking. They have years of success, culture and heritage in European football. It was pitiful to watch them clutch at straws to replace Lionel Messi.
It is understandable that no club can find an overnight replacement for Lionel Messi. He is a magician. However, one would have expected Barcelona to have an alternative plan ready to tackle the crisis.
Maybe signing another proven goal-scorer in his prime? Maybe changing the football philosophy at the club? Or maybe even accepting that they are in a transition phase and bringing in top-level young talent. Barcelona chose to sign free agents Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay to replace Messi.
While Aguero was already on the wrong side of the 30s, Depay had never managed to prove his worth at a big club. Neither of them were ever going to replace Messi, who has registered 709 goals and 301 assists in 778 appearances for the Catalans.
On that note, let's look at five better prospective signings who might have been able to revive the goalscoring fun at Nou Camp.
#5 Sadio Mane | Liverpool
Sadio Mane has had an incredibly successful career in Europe. After starting off at Metz, he moved to Southampton where he announced his arrival in the Premier League.
A big move to Liverpool followed and Mane has since then gone on to become one of the best forwards in world football. He has won big trophies like the Premier League and the Champions League with the Reds.
However, Sadio Mane might still be unhappy due to the presence of Mohamed Salah. The sheer brilliance of the Egyptian has forced Mane to play second-fiddle, despite possessing an abundance of talent in his arsenal.
A move to Nou Camp might have allowed him to showcase his talent as the club's leading talisman. Mane could have arguably even taken up the number 10 jersey, which was previously worn by Messi himself.
He is on a good scoring run this season and has already found the back of the net 10 times in 26 games. He could have been the ideal solution for a Barcelona side bereft of attacking ideas.
#4 Lautaro Martinez | Inter Milan
At just 24 years old, the Argentine star has all the clinical brilliance of a poacher and the elegant dynamism of a key dribbler. Like Messi, Lautaro Martinez has a diminutive stature. However, the star is very capable of being an aerial threat in the box. He is highly creative and ruthless in the final third. Lautaro Martinez could have brought goals and assists to Camp Nou had Barcelona signed him last summer.
The Argentine star enjoyed a scintillating run of form last season, scoring 17 Serie A goals and helping Inter to a Scudetto title. This season, without Romelu Lukaku as his striking partner, Martinez has improved further, scoring an astonishing 11 goals in just 19 league games. Capable of scoring on a consistent basis, the 24-year-old would have been a good replacement for Lionel Messi at Barcelona
#3 Neymar | PSG
Neymar left Nou Camp for PSG after the French club activated his release clause in 2017. He did so because the Brazilian wanted to shine beyond Messi’s overwhelming shadow at Barcelona.
Five seasons have passed since then but Neymar has not been able to reach his Nou Camp levels in Paris. According to some reports, he even requested his old club to resign him.
Many believed that Neymar may have been Messi's perfect successor in the game but only if he was given the right conditions to flourish. At PSG, there is too much leeway in terms of club structure, something that has negatively affected Neymar's game at PSG. The same would not have been the case at Barcelona, as was proved by his successful first spell at the club.
After news broke of Messi joining PSG, Neymar was openly elated at the thought of playing with his former teammate again. However, Messi’s exit from the Nou Camp left a void that Neymar could have filled.
Already a Blaugrana favorite, the star's return to Camp Nou would have been a happy incident for the club. Capable of scoring brilliant goals and assisting his teammates, Neymar could've settled down with ease at Nou Camp.
#2 Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund
Rumor mills have carried stories of Barcelona's intentions to bring the explosive Norwegian forward to Camp Nou. How the club could potentially carry out this transfer, especially with other European giants circling Erling Haaland, is uncertain. However, the Blaugrana might have had a much improved season if they had fought to bring in the Norwegian when Messi's exit from the club looked certain.
Haaland is reputable for his goalscoring abilities, both in Norway and the Bundesliga. While he does not fit the Messi-esque type of player Barca may be searching for, Haaland's ruthless finishing, consistency and pace would have sufficed.
With Messi out of the club, Haaland could've become the focal point in attack for the Camp Nou outfit.
#1 Mohamed Salah | Liverpool
Liverpool have seen a rise in fortunes in recent years. While much of it has been due to an influx of brilliant defenders, their ruthless attack has been key as well. Mohamed Salah is at the heart of the Reds' attacking affluence. His vibrant energy has seen goals pour in with consistency. Although he has yet to reach the bar he set during his debut season - 44 goals in 52 games for Liverpool - Salah has remained a quality force for the club.
It may have been nearly impossible for Barcelona to pry the Egyptian maestro out of Liverpool's hands. But if they had, Camp Nou would be lit with Salah's goals and assists. Diminutive like Messi, Salah has the pace and dribbling skills to revive Barcelona's dwindling form.
His current return of 23 goals in 26 games for Liverpool makes Salah one of the best in the world. Barcelona may have had the closest thing to Messi had they brought in the Egyptian ace to Nou Camp.
