In what must be a slow day for sports news The Metro has rekindled the idea that Lionel Messi could make a sensational move, with Manchester United the beneficiaries:
Manchester United could be given help from their new sponsors Adidas to sign Lionel Messi from Barcelona, according to reports.
Strangely enough, with the amount of cash swilling around at Manchester United these days, this one no longer seems quite so outlandish.
At 27 years of age the signing of Messi would be hugely costly. But it would also be offset by another massive leap in sponsorship revenue and the success that would surely come Manchester United’s way if they brought him in.
We think that Manchester United would want him, if available, and would be prepared to pay the asking price. Perhaps the biggest question then is, does Messi want to leave Barca? Does he want to test himself in another league to prove, beyond doubt, that he is the best player that the world has ever seen?
We think that he is maybe not quite the player that he was. He’s still a match winner of course. And any team with him in it would automatically become favourites for the domestic title at least. But he’s lost that wonderful burst of pace which really set him apart in his early to mid-twenties – that pace that allowed him to go past 4 or 5 players in a single dribble.
Sadly we don’t see those bewitching runs quite as often these days. Like Wayne Rooney, Messi has lost some of his explosiveness. But, like Wayne Rooney he’s still a fantastic player.
Would we pay £200m for him? Why not. He still has at least 4 years at the top level. 4 years to take Manchester United back to the top and 4 years to gel with the likes of Angel di Maria, Falcao and Rooney in order to bring liquid football back to the club.
Let’s see a true football deity in action. Manchester United fans: any hope?
