Lionel Messi | Joins Inter Miami (pg4111)

[The1nvisibleMan]

Aye, that's definitely a good shout.

You’d have a front 6 of Raz, Gabby, Ferran, Messi, Aguero and Haaland. More than enough firepower

 

[BillyShears]

If someone bought Lautaro Martinez for near €100m then he could go to Inter, but again, who's spending all that?

Do you think anyone outside England will spend 100 million euros (or close to) on a single player this summer?

 

[Lavinda Past]

I think Jesus is destined for Madrid (Atletico) or Juve.

I think Jesus is tailor made for Italian football - I suspect he may end up at Inter... in swap deal for Lukaku ;)

 

[domalino]

You make some good arguments there. For me, I have always found that those clubs tend to find the money when they really want a player, but you may well be right and nobody in the end can afford Gabi.

What's your ideal? Keep Jesus, let Kun go, sign another 9 like Haaland?

Personally keep gabby on as a winger and get rid of mahrez.

Offload Mendy, Mahrez and Carson. Replacing Carson with an u21 like Gavin Bazunu means Aké can be listed as an association trained player instead of a foreign player and we can have 3 incomings. LB, Messi, Haaland.

For 1 year we are very top-heavy with Jesus, Torres, Sterling, Messi, Bernardo on the wings and Aguero/Haaland as striker options, but fuck it.

We can probably shift enough people around to keep them happy. Messi could play 8, Gundogan probably has to play some 6 because Fern is 36. Foden and Bernardo can play in the middle or on the wing. Messi gets his game time managed carefully to peak in March-May like Ronaldo has done for the past 5 years.

It'd make everyone hate us because it would be without doubt the most obscenely deep and talented football squad ever assembled, but for 1 season I think it could work.

Then Aguero walks off into the sunset June 2022, followed 1 year later by Messi. Jesus is 25 by then and we can still cash in on him if he's not changed minds by then.

 

[The1nvisibleMan]

Offload Mendy, Mahrez and Carson. Replacing Carson with an u21 like Gavin Bazunu means Aké can be listed as an association trained player instead of a foreign player and we can have 3 incomings. LB, Messi, Haaland.

For 1 year we are very top-heavy with Jesus, Torres, Sterling, Messi, Bernardo on the wings and Aguero/Haaland as striker options, but fuck it.

We can probably shift enough people around to keep them happy. Messi could play 8, Gundogan probably has to play some 6 because Fern is 36. Foden and Bernardo can play in the middle or on the wing. Messi gets his game time managed carefully to peak in March-May like Ronaldo has done for the past 5 years.

It'd make everyone hate us because it would be without doubt the most obscenely deep and talented football squad ever assembled, but for 1 season I think it could work.

Then Aguero walks off into the sunset June 2022, followed 1 year later by Messi. Jesus is 25 by then and we can still cash in on him if he's not changed minds by then.

I think if we’re keeping Aguero and getting Messi fernandinho would have to go for someone a bit younger. Also keep Carson on as a coach as he seems to be well liked by Pep and the lads

 

[adam.marrett]

Have you hacked my emails ;)

Jesus is the one I suspect will be deemed acceptable damage in keeping Sergio another season AND buying Haaland/another top grade forward.

As you say, Messi is a stand alone and always has been, financially speaking.

Have you heard who the target is or could be for the new striker? The wish or dream of most of us is Haaland, I feel that sell on clause with Sancho/ Dortmund may have a bit with where Haaland goes and how we deal with them. Pretty sure you posted that a while back now.

I just can't see any other strikers out there that fit the bill. Mbappe is a no go, with the political environment involved in our owners and PSG's and Mbappe doesn't seem to want to come to us as has been posted by yourself before. Outside of those two who else is there?

The Messi deal seems to be getting closer to reality with all the happenings at Barcelona. I can't see a scenario where he stays there, they've made it almost untenable for him to stay there after this season.

As for the previous posters who have argued the revenue Messi will bring won't be substantial or what not I can only say this. I live in Australia and Messi/Barcelona shirts are bought by the truck load by kids who play or followed football out here. Barcelona would make a killing off that and every other country outside of Spain.

If we can get a slice of that substantial pie on top of what on field performances Messi brings it will be massive for our club.

Here's hoping it comes to fruition anyway in a few months time.

 

[domalino]

Do you think anyone outside England will spend 100 million euros (or close to) on a single player this summer?

This is the only scenario I can think of that sees big money moves at the big clubs.

We buy Haaland for €100m+

Mbappé decides to quit PSG.

Real Madrid sell Jovic, Odegaard, Brahim, Kubo, Ceballos etc. to get him in.

PSG now have €150m burning a hole in their pocket and buy Felix or Lautaro or Dybala.

Atletico/Inter/Juve forward us that money for Jesus.

Dortmund could get Jovic for €70m or so with some of the Haaland money.

However I think it all beaks down at point #2.

 

[cjn]

Selling Jesus to keep a 33 year old Aguero around, after the year he's had, would be insane. I love Sergio but we can't lose someone like Gabby for sentimentality reasons.

 

[nmc]

You make some good arguments there. For me, I have always found that those clubs tend to find the money when they really want a player, but you may well be right and nobody in the end can afford Gabi.

What's your ideal? Keep Jesus, let Kun go, sign another 9 like Haaland?

You are right - the so called big clubs have a habit of miraculously finding money when it suits them - but it maybe a downside of UEFA's all out attack on us that we are now watching and will be (hopefully) challenging all the cash injections from regional or state governments, Fiat etc... so maybe these clubs will find it harder to keep their monopoly on top talent.

 

[pavelsrnicek]

I think if anyone goes it will be Mahrez rather than Jesus, though it will be a fairly low fee due to wages.

I think we’ll try to sell Mahrez & Mendy and let Fernandinho go and hope Carson retires. That would leave us with 4 spaces if we use an academy keeper as no. 3. Would allow us bring in Messi, a forward, a left back and midfielder.

Would that midfielder be a Grealish type or a Fernandinho replacement? The obvious question being who covers Rodri if we sign Grealish or someone similar.