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Lionel Messi and Barcelona have parted ways, with the Argentine superstar likely to move to Paris Saint-Germain.
The departure of Messi, renowned as a one-club man, has shocked the football world. He is Barcelona's greatest ever, scoring goals and winning titles galore over the years.
Messi's longevity at Barcelona cannot be matched by many players, especially by strikers, who are always in demand and consistently linked with moves to other clubs.
On that note, here's a look at the five players to have scored the most goals for one club in the 21st century in Europe's top five leagues.
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#5 Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) | 260 goals
Arguably Manchester City's greatest ever player, Sergio Aguero is one of the best strikers to have played in the Premier League.
A highly-rated talent during his Independiente days, Aguero was spectacular for Atletico Madrid before moving to Manchester City in 2011. In 391 appearances in all competitions, Aguero scored 260 goals and provided 73 assists.
His most iconic strike came against Queens Park Rangers in injury time that sealed Manchester City's first-ever Premier League title.
Aguero was a genuine superstar in his prime. A world-class finisher, the Argentina international left Manchester City this summer, and moved to Barcelona on a free transfer.
#4 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) | 279 goals
One of the best strikers in the world, Karim Benzema is a modern-day Real Madrid great.
Benzema moved to Real Madrid from Lyon in 2009, amid interest from several top clubs across Europe. After a slow start to his Los Blancos career, Benzema displayed his prowess. A complete forward, the France international is a highly creative, intelligent attacker who boasts a prolific goalscoring record.
The 33-year-old has made 558 appearances in all competitions for Real Madrid, scoring 279 goals and providing 143 assists. With the departure of Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos, Benzema is one of the few big names left in La Liga.
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#3 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) | 294 goals
The best striker in world football at the moment, Robert Lewandowski does not look like he is stopping any time soon.
Bayern Munich acquiring Lewandowski on a free transfer in 2014 has to go down as one of the best transfer businesses in the history of the sport. The Poland international has been world-class for the Bundesliga giants, a bonafide star who has been key to Bayern Munich's incredible success in recent years.
In 329 appearances in all competitions, the 32-year-old has scored an astounding 294 goals and provided 65 assists. He was the best player in the world when Bayern Munich won the continental treble in 2020, and continues to impress with his performances.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) | 450 goals
One of the greatest players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo is the all-time top goalscorer of Real Madrid.
Ronaldo established himself as one of the best in the world at Manchester United, and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest at Real Madrid. The Portugal international made 437 appearances in all competitions for Los Blancos, scoring 450 goals and providing 132 assists.
The 36-year-old left Real Madrid in 2018 and moved to Juventus, where he has not stopped scoring goals. Ronaldo won the Capocannoniere award last season after scoring 29 league goals.
#1 Lionel Messi (Barcelona) | 672 goals
Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time, and has been dominating headlines recently.
Messi made his debut for Barcelona in 2004, and made 778 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring 672 goals and providing 305 assists. The Argentina international has scored the most goals in La Liga, so his departure will be felt by both club and the Spanish top flight.
The 34-year-old is seemingly on his way to Paris, with PSG leading the race for his signature. The prospect of an attack featuring Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi is mouth-watering.
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