"The number one in the world" - Chelsea star names PSG's Lionel Messi as the best player he's ever played with

Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has named Lionel Messi as the best player he has ever played with.

Cucurella came through the famed La Masia academy and has trained alongside several of Barcelona's stars. While he has played alongside some of football's biggest names since turning professional, the Spaniard has named Paris Saint-Germain star Messi as the very best.

Explaining his choice, Cucurella told GOAL on Simply The Best:

"Lionel Messi is the No. 1 in the world. I played with him at Barcelona and I trained with him a lot. The most incredible thing is that when you watch the game he’s walking a lot, [but] he’s watching everything, watching the space. And then when he receives the ball he has the information and the gaps in his mind [so] he is ready to ‘kill’ the other team."

After spending two seasons with La Liga side Girona, Cucurella moved to the Premier League, joining Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021. His performances with the Seagulls impressed Chelsea, who spent a reported £55 million to sign in in the summer of 2022.

When asked which attribute he'd steal from any player, Cucurella picked Manchester City forward Erling Haaland's strength, saying:

"Maybe Erling Haaland. Not the skill, but the power, because he always stays in the [right] position to score a lot of goals. Maybe he doesn’t have [just] one best attribute, but I think he [can] always smell where the goal is."

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Lionel Messi mulling joining Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr: Reports

Lionel Messi is reportedly considering a move to Saudi Pro League (SPL) side Al-Nassr, a club that's currently home to Cristiano Ronaldo.

According to a report by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Messi is seriously considering joining Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia as a move to Barcelona doesn't look feasible due to the Catalan club's financial issues. Messi's Paris Saint-Germain contract expires in the summer and he hasn't signed an extension yet.

Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr has given SPL clubs the belief that they can lure the best players in the world to the Middle East. Al-Hilal coach Ramon Diaz spoke about the possibility of signing Messi earlier this season, saying (via UKSport):

"Clubs can have eight foreigners; you can have the best because there are no financial problems. It happened with Ronaldo, and most of Al-Hilal's foreigners are international. If they continue like this, they will grow. The presence of Cristiano is important to give football more expectation. They have the possibility of buying Messi, imagine the power they have."