5 clubs where Lionel Messi could go if money was not a factor

With his life off the pitch seemingly dominated by a tax evasion case involving his father, the stories Lionel Messi is considering his future at Barcelona will not go away.Whether there is any truth to these rumours remains to be seen, but what is certain is that there are only a select few clubs in the world who could realistically afford the Argentine. Any transfer involving Messi would not only command a world-record fee to release him from the clause written into his contract, factor in his wages and associated image rights would push the total cost of signing him through the roof.Both Manchester clubs would be able to underwrite the huge losses needed to capture him, and the ambitious owners of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain will surely be interested in making the ultimate transfer statement. Real Madrid will, of course, never be an option, with Luis Figo the last player to sign directly for Los Blancos from their bitter rivals back in 2000. Finally, Bayern Munich probably wouldn't find finances a problem either, although whether they would be willing to shell out so much on one player is another question entirely.What if, though, money was not a factor? What if Messi was happy to play for free, or Barcelona were forced to rip up his contract and the world’s best footballer became a free agent?Excluding the usual suspects who wouldn't find cash a barrier to securing his signature, we look at five clubs Messi could sign for:Disclaimer: The views reflected here are those of the author's and in no way represent Sportskeeda's thoughts on the same.

#5 Arsenal

Now you can't mention being sensible in the transfer market without bringing up Arsenal. Often self-imposed by the manager himself, their previous reluctance to target the more established names in Europe is despite the huge financial might the Emirates Stadium and a long-standing participation in the Champions League has given them.

The purse-strings have been somewhat slackened in recent seasons, with Arsene Wenger overseeing the signings of La Liga's bigger names in Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. Signing Messi – something they reportedly failed to do many years ago when assessing the La Masia academy for potential future stars – would be huge for Arsenal.

Lionel Messi reuniting with Alexis in the Arsenal attack is an inviting thought, and in one swift movement it resolves their ongoing striking quandary. Talk in recent months has often centred around whether either Olivier Giroud is of the necessary quality to lead the line for the Gunners, or whether Theo Walcott can truly establish himself as a genuine striker at the highest level. Sign Messi and that issue is eliminated immediately.

It goes without saying, but Messi would clearly be a welcome addition to the Premier League. And in a perfect world, Arsenal would be the best fit.

#4 Borussia Dortmund

The start Borussia Dortmund have made under new manager Thomas Tuchel this season hints that with one stellar signing maybe they could close the gap on a dominant Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Realistically, only a huge game-changer such as Lionel Messi signing for Dortmund could reverse the tide in Germany. The gap between Bayern and the rest is stark, but slot Messi into the team most likely to challenge in the future and the landscape shifts almost immediately.

Tuchel has quickly banished last season's turbulent form under the departing Klopp. His team started off looking like potentially being able to challenge Bayern this season, but the reality was somewhat different and a 5-1 defeat in early October seems to have silenced the title-talk.

The Signal Iduna Park would certainly love to see their new marksman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang linking up with someone of Messi's calibre. Even the Gabon international himself is beginning to earn comparisons with the goal-scoring exploits of the four-time Fifa Ballon d'Or winner. Having scored 20 goals in 17 matches so far this campaign, keep that rate up and a prolific partnership with Messi becomes even more exciting than it does already.

#3 Atletico Madrid

Unless he was happy for his walk down the touchline at the Camp Nou to be paved with pigs heads and an incomprehensible amount of abuse, moving to arch-enemies Real Madrid would be out of the question. If, however, Lionel Messi was happy to stay in La Liga, a sure-fire way of increasing the hatred felt towards him among Real fans would be to sign for their bitter rivals Atletico Madrid.

Under Diego Simeone, the club have been transformed and are now comfortably positioned as the El Clasico pair's closest challengers, ready to take advantage at any point either of their rivals fail to meet usual expectations.

The prospect of Messi combining with Antoine Griezmann in his current form is enough to salivate even the most neutral among us. When you consider what Messi could potentially do for the host of young players slowly establishing themselves at the Vicente Calderon, it's a tantalising prospect.

Rising stars such as Saul, Koke, Angel Correa and Luciano Vietto would no doubt benefit from the space their experienced team-mate would allow them to operate in on the pitch, and the guidance he would supply them off it would be invaluable too.

#2 Roma

Staying in Italy, if Juventus were able to consider securing the signing of Lionel Messi, Roma would surely be interested too. Club icon Francesco Totti is winding down on a career spanning over 20 years, and the Giallorossi are looking for a man of similar stature to fill the void.

He would be revered in Rome, and the Stadio Olimpico would no doubt enjoy welcoming a new hero from abroad with open arms. Manager Rudi Garcia has endured a fair share of recent criticism, and patience in his Roma team was starting to wear thin. Not right now, though. His team are emphatically among the goals this season – 25 in 10 Serie A games so far – indicating the Frenchman finally seems to be extracting the best from his squad.

With a Scudetto being a serious aim in the coming months, Messi would be joining a team who are on the up once more. Moving to an iconic capital city, in a league that is becoming more competitive than it has been in previous seasons, these can only be further reasons for La Masia's most famous graduate to consider Rome.

#1 Juventus

It's clear that although Juventus dominate the transfer market in Italy, and have enjoyed the most recent success in Serie A, they lack the financial muscle to compete at the top of the European game.

Although they continue to fend off teams with larger budgets, either for their key players such as Paul Pogba or with their own big money signings such as Paulo Dybala, the Bianconeri are simply unable to consider a player of Lionel Messi's standing.

If he was looking for a club with a long history of winning trophies, Juventus fit that criteria. If he was considering a destination where he would roared on by fanatical support in a modern and atmospheric stadium (something Italy is not exactly known for), Juventus remains an option he could experience it. If money was not a problem, the reasons to consider the Old Lady are obvious.

Messi would be the perfect talent to wear the iconic number ten shirt. Following legendary names like Alessandro Del Piero and Roberto Baggio by donning the fabled jersey is never easy, but having carved out his own dynasty under the very same number at Barcelona, Messi would have no issues bearing such a tag in Turin.