I hope you're right,
@Ric. Haaland is a dream. Luiz is someone id be more than happy with. Add a left-back to that (to challenge Zinc, presuming we've given up on Mendy) and i'm very content with that summer! Messi obviously would be an insane bonus, but not *needed*.
If we sign Messi and Haaland it will create serious ripples around the league in ways I don't think many are considering.
I'd never assume we'll win titles before they're won on paper, but Delaney wrote an article about how the other big 6 clubs thought the league was going to be a foregone conclusion when Pep arrived for as long as he was here. If we sign those 2 players, other clubs will privately be writing off seasons before they're played.
It would have such a big effect on the long term strategies of clubs like Liverpool, who suddenly will look at their squad and think VVD, Mane, Thiago, Salah, Matip, Henderson and Firmino will all be 32/33 by the time Messi and Pep leave. Do United want to keep OGS for those 2 years or build a team to peak in 2023/24 when things might get back to normal? Harry Kane will wave goodbye to hopes of winning a league title before he's 30.
It will change the long term planning of our rivals. Are boards going to want to invest when they think there's not much chance of winning? Do managers want to wait that long? Maybe someone will decide to spend huge to keep up - but in the pandemic, who?
It could be amazing for the likes of West Ham/Leicester/Everton if a few of our rivals start taking a medium term view and focus less on the present.
However, It would probably make us as disliked as United were in the 90's/early 00s if we end up winning something like 5 in 6 and the pressure to win the CL in those 2 years will be 10x more than it is now.
It's a huge psychological blow, even more than it's a move to strengthen the squad, and it could change things for this club forever.