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#2 Find Messi’s long-term replacement immediately
At this point it is no longer a secret that Barcelona is overly reliant on Lionel Messi. Calling them a one-man team is perhaps not an exaggeration after all; without their captain, the Blaugrana are simply an ordinary team.
In spite of the talent spread across this Barca team, Messi has always been the catalyst that spurs the rest of the team on. In fact, the Spanish giants haven’t won any of their last six games (across competitions) when Messi has been out of the side. Four defeats, a loss and another draw are all they have to show in Messi’s absence.
Maybe the club’s board never thought such a day would come, but now is the time to find Messi’s long-term replacement. The Argentine is aging – he is currently 32 – and is bound to see his performances wane or be blighted by injuries as he enters the final stages of his career.
Whether it is Neymar or Kylian Mbappe that the club is considering, it is clear that Barca need Messi’s long-term replacement and fast, if they want to challenge in Europe once again.
