REVEALED: How Messi almost joined Chelsea!

[The_Flash 1,144]

REVEALED: How Messi almost joined Chelsea last summer after adidas offered to pay half of the staggering £210m deal to Barcelona

Daily Mail

By Pete Jenson

PUBLISHED: 11:20, 5 November 2013 | UPDATED: 14:02, 5 November 2013

Lionel Messi could have signed for Chelsea in the summer after adidas offered to pay half of his
£210million buy-out clause, according to Barcelona sports paper Mundo Deportivo.

Messi, who joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old after the club paid for expensive hormone therapy treatment without which he would never have made the grade as a professional, has always had a strong emotional bond with the club.

But according to Mundo Deportivo, adidas saw the opportunity to prise him away from Barca – and effectively from Nike who sponsor the Catalan giants – and move him to one of their three main European clubs: Chelsea, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid.

The pro-Barcelona daily says that Messi’s representatives were made aware of adidas’ proposal and that they then informed the club, who were also told Messi had no intention of leaving the club.

Even if adidas had stumped up the £105m, Chelsea would still have had to find the other £105m and manager Jose Mourinho would have had to convince a player with whom he has never had a very good relationship that the two could work together.

Mourinho famously accused Messi of ‘theatre’ after he was involved in Asier Del Horno’s sending off in a 2006 Chelsea v Barcelona clash, and was subsequently public enemy No.1 for Barca and Messi as Real Madrid coach.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez would have pulled off a coup to top even the swiping of Luis Figo in 2000 if he had signed Messi.

It has long been his intention and he may have felt with the arrival of Neymar at the Camp Nou he could tempt the four-time Ballon d’Or winner to defect.

Barcelona would have done everything possible to keep Messi but, as with Figo, if Real had paid the £210m (€250million) buy-out clause Barça would have been forced to sell putting Messi in the same team as Cristiano Ronaldo and bringing to an end any interest in Gareth Bale.

Bayern Munich were the third team suggested by Mundo Deportivo as being capable of completing the sensation transfer. By moving Messi to Germany, adidas would have given a massive boost not just to Bayern but to the Bundesliga.

But Messi did not finish on the best of terms with Pep Guardiola at the Nou Camp and Bayern, like Chelsea and Madrid, would have found it difficult to convince the player to make the move.

Messi goes into Wednesday's game with Milan on a run of three games without a goal and another theory circulated in Barcelona on Tuesday – this is a good moment to remind Barca fans of Messi’s commitment to the cause as he passes through what, by his incredibly high standards, is a low point in his time at the club.

[The_Flash 1,144]

Interesting, perhaps then would it have exposed what a mediocre player he really is. Ah well... never mind..

[Liquidator 5,176]

Bullshit. And please don't tell me you think Messi is mediocre

[Atlas Lion 1,223]

Ask me if I give a flying fuck.

[edetarod 2,155]

here's my last fuck

take it

[Beirut_Blues 306]

This isn't news... It's no secret that Adidas would like "the best player in the world" to be at one of their 3 top clubs.

[We Hate Scouse 10,261]

Ask me if I give a flying fuck.

Do you give a flying fuck?

[Atlas Lion 1,223]

Do you give a flying fuck?

[DJames 729]

If you can't beat them, join them........come over to the blue side we have flags

[The_Flash 1,144]

Thank you for those childish responses to simply a bit of news,

you absolute

(not djames)

[Atlas Lion 1,223]

In all honesty, that 'news' lost all credibility as soon as we saw the source.

[Rmpr 8,977]

In all honesty, that 'news' lost all credibility as soon as we saw the source.

Why? Mundo Deportivo is the most reliable sports journal in Cataluna by a fair margin...

Now, it doesnt mean they dont write shit stories (like this one). But the source is as good as Spanish media gets (they are a lot worse than the already horrible Ennglish media).

[Atlas Lion 1,223]

Why? Mundo Deportivo is the most reliable sports journal in Cataluna by a fair margin...

Now, it doesnt mean they dont write shit stories (like this one). But the source is as good as Spanish media gets (they are a lot worse than the already horrible Ennglish media).

I was speaking of the title at the very top, Daily Mail

What I've learned from Mundo Deportivo and Marca is that they absolutely love taking any chance at degrading Mourinho and Chelsea as long as it sells.

[The_Flash 1,144]

Yes but they were quoting someone else but I do apologise that you know everything about everything and can categorically say this story is untrue ??

[Spike 12,049]

I don't see any almost about it. When it comes down to the last line, it's Messi's decision and as far as I can tell he stated a firm 'no' from the get go.

[EBH 283]

If he come to Chelsea and become striker, 100% he will be the shit... like Sutton, Kezman, Mutu, Shevchenko, Torres...

[blu35_army 550]

Messi has not became a real "Superstar" if he didn't even playing in PL yet...

[Blue Traveler 256]

Ask me if I give a flying fuck.

What's a flying fuck?