In a recent report, The Telegraph (subscription required) has revealed that Manchester City could still sign Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi next year as City Football Group might offer the player a three-year deal at the Etihad Stadium before granting his wish by moving him on to the Major League Soccer where he could join their sister club New York City FC. This report follows Messi’s recent interview with La Sexta where the Argentine frontman disclosed his desire to play football in the United States after his contract with Barca runs out at the end of this campaign (transcripted and translated by BBC).
Messi’s Impressive Final Season At The Nou Camp So Far
The 33-year-old is currently out of action with an ankle injury after making a promising start to this campaign. The Rosario-born attacker has featured in 18 matches for the Catalans outfit this term, banging in ten goals and grabbing five assists in various competitions.
Messi has been Ronald Koeman’s most potent weapon in the final third as evidenced by his average of 6.3 shots, 2.7 key passes and 4.6 dribbles per game in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League group stages. He has even distributed possession with a lot of conviction after making 86.2% of his attempted passes in both those competitions (stats via whoscored).
What Are The Argentine Forward’s Best Attributes?
Messi is still one of the quickest players in Barca’s squad and has flourished playing as a centre-forward under the stewardship of Ronald Koeman. Even though his goals have dried up a bit when compared to his previous seasons, yet the Argentine playmaker has continued to be a potent striker up top.
The experienced marksman has scored a major share of his team’s goals this season and has also come up with some important assists for his team. At 33, he has still got a few good years left to perform at his best and is versatile enough to operate in any position across the frontline.
Will Messi Be A Dream Signing For Pep Guardiola?
It makes sense for Man City to try and lure him to the Etihad Stadium at the end of this campaign. Messi has previously been successful while working with Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, so he could be inclined to link up with his former boss before going on to play in the Major League Soccer in the coming years.
All in all, the Argentine goal-scorer will be a dream signing for Man City as he could help them end their long wait for a UEFA Champions League trophy and could potentially form a devastating attacking partnership with Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling at the north-west of England.
