Andy Murray wants Lionel Messi in EPL, says the Argentine can even win on a cold night in Stoke

There were plenty of shockwaves throughout the football world on Tuesday night as reports came in from Catalunya that superstar Lionel Messi has decided to leave FC Barcelona.

The news of the Argentine wanting to part ways with the club that has been his home for 20 years soon caught fire in the sporting world at large. From NBA stars to MotoGP riders, everyone wanted to chime in on what could be one of the biggest moments in sporting history.

Lionel Messi wants to leave Barcelona

Tennis legend Andy Murray, who is an avid football follower, also gave his two cents on the developments in Spain. The Scot said he would love to see the little magician from Argentina grace the Premier League with his sorcery, while also addressing the popular question of whether Lionel Messi would be able to withstand the highly physical football played in England.

I follow Arsenal, but I don't think Lionel Messi is going to be joining them: Andy Murray

Andy Murray's campaign at the Western & Southern Open in New York came to a disappointing end on Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-2 third-round loss to Milos Raonic. After the match Murray seemed more than happy to talk about football rather than his own result, and keenly expressed his desire to watch the greatest footballer of all time play in England.

"I would like to see him (Lionel Messi) play in the Premier League," Andy Murray said.

Andy Murray doesn't care which club Lionel Messi joins, as long as it's from the Premier League.

The three-time Grand Slam champion also mentioned that as a fan of the Premier League club Arsenal FC, he would love for Messi to go to London. However, Murray was quick to admit that the chances of that happening were almost non-existent given Arsenal's financial situation.

The former World No. 1 would be satisfied with just having Messi play for a club in England, even if it wasn't Arsenal.

"To be honest I don't care who he plays for. I follow Arsenal, but [laughs] don't think he's gonna be joining them. But yeah, I would like to see him come to the Premier League," Andy Murray added.

Lionel Messi is the best player ever: Andy Murray

Lionel Messi's status as the GOAT has occasionally been questioned by people who believe the diminutive Argentine wouldn't be able to handle English football. But Andy Murray has no such doubts whatsoever.

During his reply, the two-time Wimbledon champion even referenced the popular adage - "Can he do it on a cold rainy night in Stoke?" - that was first used by Scottish football pundit Andy Gray in 2010.

"I've heard a lot of people saying 'Could he (Messi) do it on a cold Wednesday in Stoke?', and I have always said, 'Of course he could'. 'Cause he's the best player ever, he'd be absolutely fine. So I would like to see him show a few people that he can do that," Andy Murray went on.