Ah yes that highly optimistic, some would say unrealistic, search for the next Messi. In these days of hyper hyperbole, we regularly hear about such players popping up all over the place but, in truth, we may never see a footballer as good as him again.
We never thought anyone would touch Diego Maradona until Messi came along and now we are similarly adamant that noone will better the sensational Barcelona maestro. Not for a long time anyhow – he makes football look like a computer game played by obsessive whizz kids still years from their first kiss.
One such player, who has been likened to the peerless Argentine, is Juan Iturbe .
Hellas Verona will demand a fee of around £25m for Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool target Juan Manuel Iturbe this summer, according to sources in Italy.
The winger, 20, has been on loan from Porto for the last year at the Italian side and they want to make the deal permanent this summer for around £12.5m. But, according to the report, that won’t stop Europe’s big boys from coming in for him once he’s signed. Crazy business football!
Iturbe, who’s dazzling footwork got him tagged as a potential successor to Messi, actually played some youth international footy for Paraguay before turning out for the Argentina U20s where he has scored 5 goals in 10 appearances. He’s also bagged 5 goals in 22 league outings for Verona this term.
While he’s got a lot of work before he can be seriously spoken of in the same novella as Messi, he does look like an absolute bobby dazzler of a player. At 5ft6in, or there abouts, he’s got that low centre of gravity of an Aguero or Messi and will prove similarly hard to shake off the ball. He looks to have a great future and there will surely be intense competition for his signature come the summer.
Let’s see the lad in action – Liverpool fans, would you be able to find place for this lad?
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Allan
Apr 7, 2014 at 7:35 pm
After reading this statement, “Hellas Verona will demand a fee of around £25m”, I know I don’t have to read anything more. Seriously do some research before writing anything. The player belongs to Porto FC and not Hellas Verona.
soccersweep
Apr 8, 2014 at 8:51 am
Perhaps read the article properly before commenting 🙂