Lionel Messi wants to leave Barcelona. And where he rocks up by the end of this summer remains anyone’s guess.
Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are said to be front-runners for his signature, while Inter Milan and Juventus have been mooted as possible destination.
Yet sadly for the romantics among us, Messi’s long-heralded return to his boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys is not an option for the 33-year-old just yet.
Maxi Rodriguez and Ignacio Scocco have come back after rejecting big deals in the Middle East and China because they said the sense of belonging in Newell’s is something that attracts them more than the money
There are concerns though that neither the player nor Argentina’s top league are ready for the messiah’s return.
“There are banners in the stadium that have been there many years that say ‘Messi your dream is our dream, come home’,” Jamie Ralph, who runs the English wing of the Newell’s Old Boys supporters club, tells i. “Definitely in the last week or so it has intensified and got a little bit louder — certainly I’ve seen that from talking to Newell’s fans. It’s cautious optimism.
“There’s a feeling he will come at some stage but I don’t think people really believe that he’s going to arrive right now.”
Argentine media has gone into a frenzy about the possibility of Messi leaving Barcelona and potentially fulfilling his career-long promise of one day playing for Newell’s.
But Ralph isn’t convinced. Issues over the player’s wages, ambition to remain at the top of world football and safety on the streets of Rosario are all concerns.
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#Newells Así arrancaba la caravana de hinchas que piden por la llegada de Messi a Newell's. pic.twitter.com/DsY25M35a3
— Diario Realidad (@realidad_diario) August 27, 2020
Argentina not ready for Messi
And it’s a worry shared among supporters back home, who fear Messi’s arrival will cast the world’s eyes on the bleak landscape of domestic Argentine football.
“Some fans think Newell’s aren’t ready for a star to come back and play in Argentina,” Ralph says.
“A Newell’s supporters group recently released a report that addressed the challenges of Messi coming back to play for the club — there are challenges like the making of the league structure, which is very confusing for anyone who follows European football. Games are on at crazy times, games can be called off in an instant, the league changes every year.
“They feel it’s not something that people are going to be attracted to watch if Messi comes back.
“Of course there’s the feeling that the eyes of the world would be on the league if that was to happen. There’s a section of fans who think the image of the league and Argentine football needs to be cleaned up.”
Issues around the league structure is one thing, but there are also concerns the lifestyle may not meet Messi’s standards.
“Rosario has a high homicide rate compared to cities in Europe,” Ralph adds. “There is some gang violence.
“Now, there isn’t a feeling that Messi’s family would be harmed or anything like that — but his kids grew up in Barcelona in a very privileged lifestyle and that’s all they know, and Rosario is very different.
“They’re not going to grow up in the same way that they would in Barcelona. It’s been suggested Messi would come on his own and play six months at Newell’s, and leave his family behind.
“But there’s definitely concerns that the league isn’t ready and it needs a few more years to clean up its image before Messi comes back.”
How the buyout clause in Lionel Messi's Barcelona contract actually works and why it could delay his desired departure from the club | @jamesgraysport https://t.co/kc6wcJ2fLc
— i sport (@iPaperSport) August 26, 2020
Messi loan the ideal solution
Concerns also gravitate around how Newell’s — who last season made just a £2m surplus in their accounts — can afford the estimated £54m-a-year wages Messi is on at Barca.
But Ralph is confident a solution would likely be found in the loan market.
“Argentina and the league cannot compete with Europe,” he says. “The feeling is that Messi would have to play for free.
“Newell’s fans have mooted the idea of a loan move — that’s what happened in 2014 when Ever Banega came from Valencia to play for Newell’s.
“In recent times Maxi Rodriguez and Ignacio Scocco have come back after rejecting big deals in the Middle East and China because they said the sense of belonging in Newell’s is something that attracts them more than the money.
“They wanted to come back to play for a club they feel a part of and have supported all their lives. There’s never going to be any money involved in the deal to bring Messi back to Newell’s.”
At 33 Messi is still at the top of his game in European football, having scored 31 goals for Barcelona last season.
And Newell’s fans are happy to wait a few more years until the returns to Argentina.
“Our captain Maxi is 39. And when Newell’s play he’s still the best player on the pitch,” Ralph adds.
“The standard of the league is low and it means you can still be an older player with experience from Europe and stand out as a brilliant player in the league.
“Carlos Tevez is still one of the leading players in the league — he helped Boca win the championship last season.
“With Messi, 33 might be a little too early for him to come back to play at Newell’s. He’s still an amazing player, is able to compete with the big players and young players in Europe.
“I’d give it three years, to when he’s 36 or 37, and he can come back and still make a considerable impact in the Argentine league and still score goals.”
Jamie Ralph is the editor of Newell’s Carajo and runs the Newell’s Old Boys English Twitter account.
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