Top 5 realistic options for Lionel Messi this summer

He’s scored over 600 goals in over 700 appearances since his heralded emergence in the colours of Barcelona, and his status in the history of the game has made him a defining figure for the Catalan club.

Unlike others at the top of the world game, he is rarely talked about as a transfer target in the media when the windows open, such is his attachment and value to the club that is as much a part of his fabric as he is to theirs.

However, Messi will turn 33 in the summer, and there have been small signs on the field in recent years that he may actually be human. The odd missed pass, missed penalty, missed shot and missed opportunity suggest his powers may have started to wane, yet he continues to defy the laws of nature with the moments of brilliance that have defined his career, and will eventually establish him as the outright greatest of all time.

His rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo was emphasised during their battle for La Liga supremacy, but while the Portuguese was breaking records at Real Madrid, his professional nemesis was more than matching his achievements at the Camp Nou.

The World Cup continues to elude both, but their monopoly over individual awards during the course of the last decade has eclipsed the achievements of world champions. Their rivalry has ensured that both men could not afford to rest on their laurels, not that their natural determination would allow either to do so, and it will be remembered as an era that saw the best of the best go head-to-head on the biggest stage.

Ronaldo and Messi have gone head-to-head for club and country throughout their respective careers

While their achievements are directly comparable, the physical differences between Messi and Ronaldo mean that their rivalry to be the very best will remain a source of endless debate. With his pace, height and strength, Ronaldo has scored goals that are beyond Messi. However, the touch, vision, skill and low centre of gravity has enabled the diminutive Argentinian to effortlessly create moments that may never be repeated by any other individual again.

The debate will continue for many years to come, and will become distorted over time, but embracing the brilliance of both at this time is a privilege that must be enjoyed by every lover of the beautiful game.

Their rivalry changed direction in the summer of 2018 when Ronaldo joined Italian giants Juventus. Messi has remained at Barcelona, but as the years pass by, there is an increasing conversation in the media that it may finally be time for him to consider other options as he heads into the final stages of his illustrious playing career.

Any indication from Messi that he is open to the idea of change will attract a long list of potential suitors, while no incumbent President of Barcelona will want to be remembered as being the man responsible for letting their prized asset leave the Camp Nou. However, here are five options that Messi could take into consideration when the next transfer window opens.

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#5 Newell’s Old Boys

Messi would love the opportunity to represent Newell's Old Boys in a derby match

Despite becoming an adopted son of Barcelona, Messi has a strong personal attachment to Rosario, Argentina, and the club that sparked his passion for the game. He has previously confessed in the media that it would be his dream to represent Newell’s Old Boys, and play in front of the fans of the club where he emerged through the junior ranks.

It is a romantic idea that the club and Argentinian football as a whole would support and celebrate. However, there are extreme practicalities that must be taken into consideration, and the viability of making the switch would not be simple process for Messi and his young family.

Messi is celebrated on the terraces of Newell's Old Boys having come through the junior ranks

His failure to lift the World Cup in the colours of his country remains a frustrating aspect of Messi’s career, despite all that he has, and continues to, achieve. His commitment to Argentina has been questioned by fans sharing in the same frustration, and making such a statement would bring him back into the fold of his country.

However, of this chapter is to be written into his career annuls, it is likely to happen at a much later stage than now. Realistically, the homecoming will have to wait, but it is clearly an option that Messi himself will want to make happen as time moves on.

#4 The Far East

Messi and Andrés Iniesta achieved great success together at Barcelona

There is a long-term ambition for China to become a world superpower in the game, and while the initial heavy investment brought a flood of foreign talent, there is now an appreciation that such investment must be made wisely.

A restriction on foreign players has moved the emphasis towards quality over quantity, and such signings will not be made unless they are for the benefit of the Chinese game as a whole. There is a project in place to propel China to top of the world game, and attracting Messi would be a pivotal step in their statement of intent.

Few players would inspire a generation like Messi, and that fact would not be lost on those funding the ambitious project. But there is another option in the Far East that would appeal to Messi, as former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andrés Iniesta is currently playing for Vissel Kobe in Japan.

While it would an ambitious move, some of the most defining moments in Messi’s career at Barcelona involved linking-up with Iniesta and his midfield partner Xavi. The opportunity to get at least part of the band back together for a final time would be a major coup, and it would be one of the most attractive prospects in the world game.

#3 The Middle East

Xavi could be the catalyst to attracting Messi to Qatar

Speaking of Xavi, the former midfield maestro recently revealed that he turned down the chance to manage Messi at Barcelona, but could he find himself managing his former team-mate in Qatar with current club Al-Sadd?

While the opportunity to manage the Catalan giants could be considered a once in a lifetime opportunity, Xavi knows his coaching career will naturally gravitate toward the Camp Nou if he can prove himself elsewhere. It was a brave decision to turn down their advances, and while it may be decision he eventually regrets, it could also prove to be a wise choice in the long-term.

But there is also a business case for Messi to move in the other direction. Financing the deal would not be a problem, and with the World Cup controversially heading to the Gulf country in 2022, building their profile with such a high-profile signing would show a clear intent of how serious they are about the game.

David Beckham proved to be a catalyst in shaping and propelling Major League Soccer forward when he arrived from Real Madrid in 2007, but there would be no bigger statement than attracting the services of Messi ahead of hosting the biggest tournament in the world game.

#2 Manchester City

Despite his success, Pep Guardiola has never lifted the UEFA Champions League without Messi

There is a mutual respect and bond between Messi and Pep Guardiola that was built during their years of domestic and European domination at Barcelona. While the influence of Iniesta and Xavi in the ‘tiki-taka’ glory years cannot be underestimated, it was the unquantifiable moments of individual magic from Messi that brought their high-pressing, possession-based attacking play together.

Guardiola became accustomed to lifting the UEFA Champions League during his tenure at the club, but failed to repeat his achievements at Bayern Munich without his talisman, and the trophy continues to elude him at Manchester City.

Guardiola has made no secret of his desire to again claim Europe’s premier prize, and has confessed that his time at the Etihad Stadium will be considered a failure without it. With Liverpool currently holding the European crown and dominating matters in the Premier League, it will take something exceptional for Manchester City to put themselves back to the top of the domestic tree, let alone in Europe.

While the talk surrounds their defensive frailties following the departure of Vincent Kompany and the injury problems suffered by Aymeric Laporte, no other addition to the squad would have the same influence as Messi. The financial technicalities would not be an issue, while the hierarchy of CEO Ferran Soriano and Director of Football Txiki Bergiristain continue to believe in Guardiola enough to support such an ambitious move, especially with their own Barcelona connections. There is also no doubt than Messi would embrace a reunion with his former manager in the Premier League.

#1 Barcelona

Messi is the talisman of Barcelona and is the defining image of the club in the modern era

But the most likely, and most obvious, option for Messi at this stage of his career would be to remain at Barcelona. He has spoken openly about his family life and the security they enjoy with the Catalan club. It is the club that shaped his professional career and his personal development. His character has been built upon the values of La Masia. There will be an unwavering desire to keep Messi at the Camp Nou, and they will match any price to ensure he is not lost.

He is the figure that represents everything about the club in the current era, and they will support his wishes in the transfer window if it helps to retain his services. Luis Suárez has been missed by Messi in attack, and there is every chance that Neymar could reverse his record-breaking move to Paris Saint-Germain next summer.

But Messi also has an additional responsibility at Barcelona now, and in the same way that he was protected by the elder statesmen when he made his introduction as a teenage sensation, he now fulfils the same role nurturing the likes of Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig as they take their first formative steps with the club.

This is a time of transition at Barcelona under new manger Quique Setién, but it is also the start of an exciting new era that Messi can help to inspire and shape. While the other options are realistic for the reasons explained, it is Barcelona that holds Messi’s heart as he enters the final years of his career, and neither party are likely to feel ready to let go just yet.