Lionel Messi | Joins Inter Miami (pg4111)

[Keeper!]

Man, when you actually visualise Messi in our shirt, out there on the pitch playing with De Bruyne, Aguero, Sterling..... it just seems utter madness. He would completely change the way we play. The world would be glued to the screen watching our matches.

Cannot believe this is a real conversation we're having right now.

Why will he change the way we play?

Our football has been magnificent under Pep.

Our problem last season was poor defending from front to back, how will Messi make that better?

 

[HelloCity]

You are perfectly within your rights to disagree especially football wise. But on football finances I don't recall you ever responding to anything I have ever said and explained why it is wrong. When you do, we can see who is likely right or wrong.

How come you always seem so miserable?

 

[ws01]

Also, if there's one thing that this shows, it's that there's so much more curiosity and fervent admiration for Messi than there is for Tronnie. That's how you know when he's the GOAT, in times like this.

 

[SleepingBlueTiger]

Can’t help but laugh. This guy is fast becoming as big a nob head as Jim White. Just compare and contrast the excitement as he speaks about United’s next possible purchase and compare it to how the potential signing of Messi is being portrayed.

Just complete propaganda.

What utter clown. Van de Beek has quickly become so overrated, even Ajax fans will tell you he isn't nowhere near as good as being made out to be. There is a reason he doesn't start for Netherlands team as Wijnaldum is a lot better than him simply. And Wijnaldum is average.

 

[ws01]

Why will he change the way we play?

Our football has been magnificent under Pep.

Our problem last season was poor defending from front to back, how will Messi make that better?

Because everything will be about him and go through him. Messi isn't going to play second fiddle to no one.

 

[mosssideblue]

Well said, if anyone thinks that UEFA or any of our rivals are simply going to shrug their shoulders if we sign Messi are kidding themselves.
We dug ourselves out of giant hole winning that CAS case, the last thing we need is to put ourselves in even the remotest chance of UEFA looking at us again.

We were not guilty, that is not in any stretch of the imagination "digging ourselves out of a massive hole".

Do you also, seriously think we would now start to look at underhand tactics to land Messi, knowing that we will be being watched like a hawk?

Our owners and board members are top of the tree businessmen, not the Dell Boys sometimes portraid by some in here.

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

 

[Bellamy's Caddy]

Can’t help but laugh. This guy is fast becoming as big a nob head as Jim White. Just compare and contrast the excitement as he speaks about United’s next possible purchase and compare it to how the potential signing of Messi is being portrayed.

Just complete propaganda.

To be fair they paid double what Harry Maguire was worth so they were due one in their favour.

 

[vincent]

What utter clowns. Van de Beek has quickly become so overrated, even Ajax fans will tell you he isn't nowhere near as good as being made out to be. There is a reason he doesn't start for Netherlands team as Wijnaldum is a lot better than him simply. And Wijnaldum is average.

Same with Bruno Fernandes. Good player no doubt but vastly overrated imo.

 

[slbsn]

Fair enough but none of us know how we would go about paying Messi if he signs. I very much doubt we would try to use some of the dubious workarounds that have been mentioned. Personally, I think Messi’s commercial appeal is off the scale and him signing for City effectively pays for itself as a result so comparisons with our rumoured haggling over Koulibaly are effectively moot.

Messi's commercial appeal is not "off the scale". We know what a 33 year old Ronaldo was "worth" in uplift terms in a non Covid world and which contracts he uplifted (Adidas and Jeep totalling around €40m plus Juve increased tickets by 30%). We also know what Barca generate commercially vs Real (see for example and can see that it is LOWER than Real which suggests Messi's commercial appeal is not "off the scale".)

Yes we can adjust our Abu Dhabi partner deals but that will again lead to issues. So it is far from simple and people throwing around "commercial uplifts" to explain how we pay €250-300m over 3 years (minimum) are overly simplistic.

Anyway, these are things to discuss. The whole forum is speculation and subjective view.