Wishlist Lionel Messi

[obiwan92 217]

The other factor that we have to look at is Messi's recognition of where Barcelona is. He is only 27, yes. He does love Barcelona, yes. But would he bare seeing the club up close and personal for much longer given all of the mess ups they've had recently? He knows he might be 29, or even 30 years old when Barcelona are finally able to rebuild their aging squad and start consistently winning trophies due to the transfer ban. Is he really going to enjoy playing for an inconsistent squad that is changing formations and managers every week? Even with higher wages?

Chelsea gives him several things: a great city, a rising club/challenge, and the opportunity to earn actual new trophies. Being friends with several of our players already helps.

Add to that the Adidas and Turkish Airlines sponsorships and Abramovich's desire for Chelsea to eventually be seen as "England's Barcelona" and it could all work. If he were to go anywhere, WHERE else would make sense?

I still think the pieces are there.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

To elaborate on this:

If you can't score against them, follow them on instagram

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

When the rumour started...

They began 2015 in turmoil after the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld FIFA's ban on them signing players for the next 12 months and are now in full-blown meltdown with Messi one of several senior players at loggerheads with Luis Enrique, who could be replaced as early as Wednesday despite the board's original intention to give him two games to save himself.

The players' biggest complaint towards the manager, who is yet to name an unchanged team this season, is that they don't know where they stand with him.

Messi, Neymar and Dani Alves were all given two extra days' holiday over Christmas only to then be told when they returned that they had not trained enough to play the first game of the year.

Messi's desire to play in every match something that Pep Guardiola nearly always made sure he did means he took the decision badly and failed to show for training on Monday complaining of gastroenteritis.

Sick to the stomach of his manager would be another interpretation; the two men are believed to have argued both during Friday's training session and on Sunday in San Sebastian.

Monday's session was open to the public with school children still on their Christmas holidays allowed to watch their heroes train, but Messi was at home following Chelsea on Instagram instead.

He also follows Beyonce and Manchester City so it would be taking it too far to see such a move on social media as a 'come and get me' message but the timing was telling all the same.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2898481/Barcelona-blown-meltdown-Lionel-Messi-unhappy-Luis-Enrique-sold.html

[michalcfc 69]

"Adidas are keen for Lionel Messi to join Chelsea and are prepared to help pay the transfer fee." [RAC1]

The Barcelona board are set to discuss an approach from Chelsea for Lionel Messi. (Source: RAC1)

and this:

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11833/9635373/lionel-messi-never-closer-to-making-barcelona-exit-says-guillem-balague

[DH1988 1,273]

Luis just gave a press conference and seemed very confident in his future etc.

I still believe the only thing keeping him at the moment is who comes in if he goes?

As I said I can see the deal happening due to sponsors/fees etc. not being the issue here, its Barca's willingness to do the deal.

Adidas would jump at it, boot deal plus kit deal on the worlds best player, its what every sponsor craves its just a massive coup for Adidas, don't under estimate that.

[milka 3,342]

Guillem Balague :

'MESSI HAS NEVER BEEN AS CLOSE TO LEAVING AS NOW'

[jasonlol 154]

We would need to sell oscar and schurrle among others to fund this.

[Azpinator 2,325]

We have our own Messi in Hazard.

[Liquidator 5,176]

Assuming he's staying now Balague has come out with that. Guillem did once tell me on Twitter that I would be a very good manager for rcd espanyol

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

Some things I can't understand from Ballague's interview

Why clubs already punished by FFP rules, like Paris and City, can CERTAINLY fork out 400m for this deal, while Chelsea can not???

And why would Chelsea have to sell a lot of players for this to happen, while Paris and City are safe to sign him w/o major sales???

Chelsea is a bigger club than Paris and City combined, making a lot more money from sponsorship deals, TV rights and stuff. What do I miss here???

[iceman 329]

We would need to sell oscar and schurrle among others to fund this.

we would need to sell all our current squad. then Leo will play with his german and egyptian (as someone above was joking) clones

[supporter 3,088]

Courtois

Varane Terry

Ivanovic Azpilicueta

Pogba Matic

Fabregas

Messi Hazard

Costa

Living is easy with eyes closed ... I also want to believe!

[didierforever 7,349]

balague???

things just got interesting!!!

[LegenTerry 265]

Courtois

Varane Terry

Ivanovic Azpilicueta

Pogba Matic

Fabregas

Messi Hazard

Costa

Living is easy with eyes closed ... I also want to believe!

Yea right,maybe Cristiano Ronaldo too?

[michalcfc 69]

Enrique was asked if Messi was still 'delighted' to be at Barca- the club he has scored over 250 league goals for - after recent reports linked him with a move away from the Nou Camp.

Enrique said: "I don't want to comment. We know things change and a month is a long time." [bBC]

[HD3D 1,038]

Just trying to picture the argument in my mind. . . . Messi is on the verge of joining chelsea

TC posters: No thanks we have got Schurrle, willian and the Egyptian messi, plus he doesn't track back. How ridiculous does that sound.

This forum is comic relief sometimes.

You are ironically disregarding the most important arguments of those who don't think this would be good for the club:

1. The deal would be financially catastrophic to the club (unless Adidas funded part of it, which is unlikely).

2. The FFP rules would crack down on us.

3. Letting Messi in would likely mean letting Hazard leave.

4. According to Spanish media, Messi's problems at Barcelona have mostly to do with his attitude regarding the discipline demanded by the manager. When the manager wants to take him off the game, he says no. When the manager benches him for one unimportant game, he doesn't show up for training the next day. Now imagine him doing all of this to Mourinho. How well would that work out? According to Guardiola's own authorized biography, the moment he realized Messi's possessive and demanding personality, he basically put Messi on a pedestal and bowed to any demand he made. Can you imagine Mourinho doing that? I can't.

[michalcfc 69]

Some things I can't understand from Ballague's interview

Why clubs already punished by FFP rules, like Paris and City, can CERTAINLY fork out 400m for this deal, while Chelsea can not???

And why would Chelsea have to sell a lot of players for this to happen, while Paris and City are safe to sign him w/o major sales???

Chelsea is a bigger club than Paris and City combined, making a lot more money from sponsorship deals, TV rights and stuff. What do I miss here???

Because Man City can buy him as a NYCFC and loan him to Man City, and Nasser Al-Khelaifi doesn't give a fuck about FFP.

[hamad138 190]

Mourinho should buy reus it would be better because his clause is only 20million( what were Dortmund thinking? Hahah). Hazard and reus would be deadly, he would easily bench oscar and willain, and we would save alot alot of money. He would be the best player along with hazard