Wayne Rooney has sent a Manchester United transfer message to Lionel Messi who looks set to leave FC Barcelona in the near future.
It had always looked like a match made in heaven – Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona. The Argentine came through their famed La Masia academy to become arguably the greatest player in history. And it appeared that he was ultimately gonna hang up his legendary boots at Camp Nou as well. But things have soured considerably between the two over the last few years.
The Catalan side have failed to replace the number of legends that have left Camp Nou over the past several years, leaving a dysfunctional squad incapable of standing up against the biggest teams of Europe. And after years of humiliating exits from the Champions League, Messi finally seems to have had enough and is determined to leave the club.
His ultimate destination is still unclear and at 34 years of age, how many clubs will be willing to pay the massive salary that he commands? According to Rooney though, the Argentine is still being the best player on the planet.
As reported by the Express, Rooney sent a message to Messi about his future:
"“I know he’s getting older but he’s a player who no one has seen before.“Messi has everything – he can create goals, score goals, dictate the game and is the best player of all time.“He’s one of the only players I’ve sat there and watched and been in awe.“Him and Cristiano Ronaldo have set a standard we won’t ever see again and are a different level.“If he can come to the Premier League, whichever team it is, Manchester City or Manchester United, I’d take Messi at United.“The United States shouldn’t be in his mindset at all because he’s too good for that level. He is miles too good for that level.”"
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It had looked like Messi was set to leave Spain in the summer but FC Barcelona did not allow him to leave. But with less than a year left on his contract, it seems only like a matter of time before that happens.
And no team should think twice before going for the Argentine, especially for free. He is arguably the greatest player to ever step on a football pitch, we all know that. It is not just about what he brings on the pitch but also off it.
Yes, it might not be enjoying his best season right now but one has to wonder, does he even want to play for FC Barcelona right now. When or if he leaves, he is expected to be hungry for trophies though with just a few more years left in his illustrious career. Hopefully Manchester United leave no stone unturned to make sure that he hangs up his boots at Old Trafford.