Chelsea could sign Messi this summer - but it's not what you think

Tom Weber

• Updated: 17 Apr 2024 15:23 BST
• 4 min read

BlueCo are interested in signing Messi - no, not that one.

Lionel Messi is enjoying life at Inter Miami and likely has no desire to trade sunny Fort Lauderdale for rainy west London at this point in his illustrious career. However, there is another Messi out there and he could be on the move this summer.

The player in question is Dijon wonderkid Rayane Messi. The 16-year-old winger scored his first goal in senior football last week and has emerged on the radar of several big-name sides around Europe.

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At least that's according to L'Equipe, which reports that the youngster is in demand and could leave his club in the upcoming transfer window, with interest from pretty much every top-five league rampant.

Despite being receiving courtship from Ligue 1 and the Premier League - even though he wouldn't be able to play for English clubs until he turns 18 - it is thought that the race to sign Messi is currently being led by Bundesliga sides. RB Leipzig have enquired about him, while the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich are keen, too.

Messi to Chelsea?

However, as mentioned, the German sides aren't the only ones who are keen and it is not set in stone yet that the 16-year-old will play in the Bundesliga next term.

Lille, Marseille and Strasbourg are also said to be in the mix, with the latter particularly interesting. The BlueCo-owned side could offer Messi a clear pathway from the third tier all the way to the Premier League.

If Messi were to join the Alsatians, the expectation would be for him to eventually end up at sister club Chelsea, who have made it their mission to snap up the biggest and brightest talents in world football.

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Strasbourg would be Messi's home until he becomes eligible to join Chelsea. A pair of Blues youngsters have already been farmed out to the Ligue 1 club in Angelo Gabriel and Andrey Santos and more will follow suit in the next few years.

But there is also expected to be movement the other way. Strasbourg's versatile young star Habib Diarra has already been earmarked as a player who is destined to play for Chelsea in the future and Messi, if he were to sign for the Alsatians, would fall firmly into that category as well.