I wouldnt swap Bernado for Messi due to age and experience of the league.
Sure it might be cool to have Messi in the team and might be financially viable but Bernado was fantastic in every sense season before last and has time on his side.
Swap him for an aging messi who might struggle in our league? No thanks.
If Messi was still such a great and influential player, Barca wouldn't have lost 3:0 from Roma, 4:0 from Liverpool (without Salah and Firmino) and 8:2 from Bayern. Messi contributed nothing in attack in those games, same in defence.
They still have the cash and the ambition (although Cavani would of been too much for them) to sign Stones
The way we dominate games we wouldn’t have to rely on one Messi he can just pop up and stick the ball in the top corner.
Yeah absolutely and I do think there is credence to the rumour, but personally I would be reticent to blow in the region of 20 million on a player with high wages, who was shakey last time he played in a more defensive team (blue dippers) and hasn't looked much better in a setup similar to Bielsa's either.
Of course a big risk presents a big opportunity too, they could sign a player who can be world class on his day for relatively small outlay (especially if they sign him on a small fee with a buy back a la Luiz and Iheanacho) - and Bielsa has somehow managed to make Liam Cooper (who was a donkey under Christiansen and Heckingbottom) look very good.
Barcelona have been relying on Messi for pretty much all their playmaking since Neymar left.
Since then, he's been in a team where you can pretty much stick 2 or 3 men on Messi, because ultimately, what's Rakitic, Busquets and Sergi Roberto gonna do? Dembele is always injured, Suarez doesn't create anything.
The difference it will make if he goes somewhere with players the calibre of KDB and Bernardo Silva around him in midfield will be terrifying.
I swear to god, I will never understand what makes people write such utter bollocks, as if they think no one on a football forum watched the games they're talking about. Quite apart from the fact you're blaming a forward for a team coughing up 4-1 and 4-0 leads, Messi was brilliant in both the Rome and Anfield game. One of the biggest talking points after Anfield was how Messi put Suarez and Griezmann through on goal several times and both butchered every chance he created. Dembele famously missed a tap-in in the first leg (the one where Messi scored 2 brilliant goals).
In the Juventus, Roma, and Liverpool ties, Messi was brilliant, and he got let down massively by the players around him.
Griezmann? He wasn't even a Barca player when they lost 4:0 at Anfield. I don't think Messi was great there.
For you Barca may be full with players of Everton's quality who let down Messi again and again. I think that's naive. Their pressing/defensive game is bad partly because Messi contributes nothing to it.
Of course, I might be completely mistaken and the union of Pep and Messi at City will make us as good as Barca 09-11. Or better!
How much would you pay to have Messi at City? 100m? 200m? 300? And what would be your expectations in terms of goals and trophies?
Every time we would see Messi in a city shirt it be like winning a trophy money wise as much as our owner is willing to pay.