I was taking your post seriously until you started being condescending so I'd appreciate it if you stopped being a nob.
"Stop being condescending, you nob"
Ok.
You're using stats to show he's not deteriorating, fair enough,
That it?
His 33 goals and 6 assists in 30 games this season proves quite conclusively he isn't deteriorating, that should really be the end of the discussion but I see you intend to just ignore it and carry on.
but you're failing to realise that even though he's one in a million as a footballer, he's still a human and not some mythical creature who's capable of defying the laws of time and age.
What does this strawman argument have to do with what we are discussing?
You can look at 1000s of footballers and you can draw parallels from them and agree that around the age of 30, give or take a few years, is when players start to deteriorate.
Similarly, you can look at many footballers that have continued at a high level into their middle thirties and beyond.
But none of them are Lionel Messi.
And just because right now he isn't showing signs of slowing down, that doesn't mean that next season he won't suddenly plummet as a player and we've seen that first hand in Demi and Zaba (obviously not as talented as Messi before you start, I'm just using them as an example).
I don't even know what to say about this. Honestly. You've just used Martin Demachellis and Pablo Zabaleta as an argument that Messi could plummet as a player next season.
Pure insanity.
Even then, do you expect him to get those kind of stats over here?
So he's not the best in the world then? Make your mind up.
Either he's the best ever or he's good because Barca is good and he ride the blaugrana wave on the seas of an easy league to high individual stats each year.
FWIW, he's proven he can do the business against Prem teams quite consistently too. This season alone he's put four goals in two games past a premier league team, I shouldn't even need to tell you which.
That is only part of my argument for not signing him. Let's say we do sign him. He would need time to settle in, get to know his team mates and although he knows Pep, we are not the same Barcelona side Messi played in, so he would have to adapt to that too.
You mean, like every signing ever?
Are you suggesting Messi isn't talented enough to perform almost instantly? Like say, Gabriel Jesus did?
Then what if there is an injury?
He'll recover and still be Lionel Messi?
It's common knowledge that the premier league is more physical than it's Spanish counterpart. Could he deal with being smothered by a Pulis style defence? Even a Shawcross leg break is a possibility and how does a player at the age of 30 come back from that?
This is so bizarre, honestly.
I have an idea: Won't be long til Kun Aguero turns 30, we should dump him just in case Ryan fucking Shawcross breaks his leg and ends his career, yeah?
Sorry to be condescending mate, honest, but this is such a weak argument for not signing the best player in the world that I don't even know where to begin.
Also imagine the field day the papers and social media would have if he didn't hit the ground running. The media on these shores are unforgiving, soul sucking arseholes and they'd stick a ton of pressure on him to live up to whatever fee he'd go for and although he's used to pressure, this would be another challenge for him and again that's something that he'd have to adapt to.
We get scrutinised by the media whether good or bad, it doesn't matter and it shouldn't change that we should be consistently looking to have the best team with the best chance of success that we can get.
Look at him for Argentina, has he been the same player he is at Barca? No. There are glimpses of his talent but he's never pulled up trees for his national side. Couldn't it be possible that the world beating superstar that is Lionel Messi is only that good for Barcalona?
Ok pick one:
1. Lionel Messi is the best player in the world and potentially the history of football
2. Lionel Messi is only good for Barcelona
Tell you what let's stick £100m in his club's bank and find out seeing as you're so sure.
Alright, here's where the bullshit ends.
My opinion, your opinion, completely irrelevant. It doesn't matter whether you rate him, or don't as the case seems to be, or if I'm sure that he's worth the money. What matters is, does Pep Guardiola want Lionel Messi? Does Pep Guardiola think he can get the best out of Lionel Messi? Does Pep Guardiola think Lionel Messi would help us get to the next stage as a team and club?
If the answer to those questions is yes, and, Messi leaves Camp Nou (I don't think he will) then we are getting Lionel Messi, the best player in the world, and sticking £100m or more in his club's bank, Shawcross and Pulis be damned.