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Whether we like to think about it or not, Barcelona's talismanic captain Lionel Messi turned 33 this year. While he hasn't yet shown signs of slowing down and continues to play at a very high level, it's quite clear that Lionel Messi is approaching his twilight.
For FC Barcelona, it means that dire times possibly lie ahead. The Catalan club has relied on Lionel Messi's brilliance for more than a decade. The Argentinean's impending retirement, whenever that happens, means that Barcelona need to find a suitable replacement for Lionel Messi as quickly as possible.
It's obviously next to impossible to replace a player of the calibre of Lionel Messi. What Barcelona should instead do is try and find a player of a similar profile - someone who can play as a right-sided forward in Barcelona's 4-3-3 formation.
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It is, however, a challenging propostion to find a player with both amazing passing abilities and great scoring prowess. On that note, we take a look at five of the most talented young offensive players who may go on to don Lionel Messi's role at Barcelona.
Five players who could replace Lionel Messi at Barcelona
#5: Ansu Fati
I believe that starting with Ansu Fati is the right choice. The young prospect has already managed to break into Barcelona's senior squad this season. He is one of the brightest talents that Barcelona's famed La Masia academy has produced in the last decade.
The 17-year-old has scored seven goals in 30 matches for Barcelona this season. In comparison, Lionel Messi scored eight goals in 25 matches in his first full season for the team in 2005-06. Considering that he has developed at La Masia and knows Barcelona's playing style, Fati seems like a logical choice to be Lionel Messi's long-term replacement.
Fati has primarily played as a left-winger so far, only because Lionel Messi is the man on the right wing for Barcelona. Taking into consideration his rapid development at Barcelona during a short time, Ansu Fati is destined to be one of Barcelona's future stars.
However, it remains to be seen if Fati will continue to play on the left or if he transitions to the right wing at some point.
#4: Francisco Trincao
Francisco Trincao signed with Barcelona in January, and he is a prospect that Los Cules fans are very excited about. The young Portuguese player had an excellent season for Braga.
At first glance, he seems to have all the right attributes to fit in Barcelona's system. He proved himself as an excellent dribbler and shot-creator for Braga. His style of play makes him a great long-term replacement for Lionel Messi.
Trincao has shown impressive development for Braga during a short period. The fact that he remained in the Portuguese league after his transfer from Barcelona until the end of the season was a good move for his development. That is because he wouldn't have enjoyed a lot of minutes at Barcelona this season.
But now, with so many fabulous performances this season, Trincao will arrive at Barcelona in the summer with a lot of fanfare. Fortunately, he seems to have a skill-set that may well capti the Blaugrana faithful.
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#3: Thiago Almada
Thiago Almada is one of the brightest prospects from South America at the moment. If you watch one of his performances this season, it will be easy to understand why.
With many European clubs already interested in his services (including Arsenal and Manchester City), it wouldn't be very surprising for Barcelona to set their sights on Almada. On paper, the young Argentinean talent looks like a player who has the ability to replace Lionel Messi on the right wing for the Catalan club.
Almada stands out for his ability to drop deep and create chances for his teammates, something that Lionel Messi has been doing at Barcelona with aplomb for the last few seasons.
While Almada would have to improve in front of goal in order to be a suitable replacement for Lionel Messi, he has the right fundamentals to become a star for Barcelona in the future. His decision-making is fabulous for a 19-year-old and his passing abilities are impressive as well.
#2: Marcus Rashford
It's hard to see Marcus Rashford leaving Manchester United anytime soon. Even so, we can't ignore the fact that the young English player is one of the most suitable replacements for Lionel Messi, at least on paper.
He is already one of the best wingers in the world at the moment. While he struggled for consistency in his early career, he seems to have found it since Ole Gunnar Solksjaer moved him to the left wing.
Rashford is known for his excellent play-making abilities as well as his great finishing touch. While he is not a great dribbler like Lionel Messi, Rashford knows how to get past defenders and create chances for himself or his teammates.
His productivity in the final third has been better than that of Sadio Mane or Aubemayang since the Premier League restarted a month ago. When in-form, Rashford is one of the best offensive players in the world. While he has room for further development, he is a talent that could solve many long-term problems for Barcelona.
#1: Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho's name seems to be on everyone's lips this season. He has been linked with a lot of big European clubs as the footballing world eagerly awaits his next career move.
Even though Barcelona haven't been linked with the English player, they are a club that could enter the race to secure the services of Sancho. In terms of attributes on the football pitch, it's hard to see a better replacement for Lionel Messi than Sancho.
Even though he is not a conventional winger, Sancho has proved time and time again that he has no problems playing in that position. He is an excellent chance creator and also possesses great goal-scoring abilities.
Sancho is able to dictate offensive plays. An interesting statistic about Lionel Messi and Sancho has been that they have been the fastest players this season to reach 10+ goals and assists for their clubs.
While it's next to impossible to have a ready-made replacement for Lionel Messi at Barcelona, Sancho is the player that fits Messi's profile the most among the various choices available.
