Barca, Newcastle and five clubs that could sign Messi this summer

FT Desk

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:55 CDT
• 4 min read

Wednesday night’s crushing defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League was a bitter blow for Paris Saint-Germain in a number of ways.

Not only did it mean the French giants would have to wait another year before they could once again challenge for the elusive European trophy, but it also underlined just how helpless their star players were during the match.

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As a result, Neymar’s future at the club has been called into question and mutterings of Lionel Messi’s effectiveness as a PSG player are now being openly questioned by fans of the club too.

So if PSG did decide to draw a line under Messi’s time in France this summer, which clubs would be able to sign him?

Barcelona

There’s no doubt that if Messi were to leave PSG this summer then the first and possibly only club that would be able to sign him are Barcelona.

Not only was the player left in tears at the thought of leaving the club last summer, but he also vowed to return in one form or another after his time in Paris was finished.

Whether or not Messi would actually improve Xavi’s team is a question for another day, because there’s no doubt that Barca would move heaven and earth to simply say they have their star player back at the club.

Manchester City

If Messi or Barca aren’t interested in a reunion then his next best option would likely be Manchester City, where he has another huge admirer in Pep Guardiola.

Although the Argentina international isn’t quite the player he once was, he would fit in perfectly with Man City’s all-conquering system of parking their attacking line on the edge of their opponent’s box every weekend.

Inter Miami

If Messi’s time at the top of European football is slowly coming to an end, he may opt for a move to the United States where a number of clubs are apparently more than happy to welcome him.

At the front of that queue are David Beckham’s Inter Miami side, who have reportedly already held talks with PSG over the availability of the Argentine star. And when asked about signing Messi recently, the club’s co-owner Jorge Mas didn’t discount the idea.

"I am optimistic Messi will play in an Inter Miami shirt because I think it will complete the legacy of the greatest player in our generation and will meet with the ambitions of the owners of Inter Miami to build a world-class team," said Mas.

He added: "David and I have been working really hard, we have aspirations of bringing the best players here and Messi is a generational player, arguably the best player of all time."

Newcastle

If we cynically assume that Messi only made the move to PSG for a huge payout - which we absolutely cna do - then it stands to reason that his next move will be to a club with even more money than the Parisian giants.

As such, that means only one thing: Newcastle. Although the St James’ Park side aren’t quite challenging for the Premier League or even playing in the Champions League, they will have the money to amass a team that will in no time at all. And there’s a good chance that Messi could be part of it.