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Lionel Messi's future at Barcelona is one of the most significant talking points leading up to the summer transfer window. The Blaugrana risk ending their beautiful 21-year association with the six-time Ballon d'Or winner as Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City continue to monitor his situation.
However, with Joan Laporta returning as president of the club and Ronald Koeman turning their fortunes around in terms of their league results, Barcelona still retain some hope of keeping Lionel Messi at the club beyond the summer.
Barcelona are gearing up for a crucial transfer window this summer as they look to bolster their squad. They will look to compete for LaLiga Santander and the UEFA Champions League once again and convince Lionel Messi with their ambition. They are believed to be in the market for a top-tier centre-forward to reinforce their attacking options as they are yet to find a proper replacement for Luis Suarez.
On that note, here, we take a look at the five potential players who could partner Lionel Messi in attack during the 2021/22 campaign.
5 possible strike partners for Lionel Messi
#5 Antoine Griezmann | Barcelona
In the event that Barcelona fail to make a high-profile signing or invest in a wide player over a central one, Antoine Griezmann could reprise his role as Barcelona's number nine. The French star is far from a conventional striker and has played all across the front line throughout his career, but during his time at Barcelona, he's predominantly played on Lionel Messi's left side or ahead of him as a striker.
Griezmann has had a significantly more productive campaign for Barcelona in comparison to his first year, managing to chip in with eight goals and six assists in 28 LaLiga Santander fixtures. With a further two goals in each of the UCL, Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de Espana, he's taken his overall tally up to 14 goals for Barcelona.
The 30-year-old has been strongly linked with an exit from the club after being overlooked on several occasions. Griezmann hasn't managed to strike up the most prolific partnership with Lionel Messi as of yet, and coach Ronald Koeman has even experimented with playing Ousmane Dembele up top with the Argentine. It was the Frenchman who partnered Lionel Messi for their most recent Clasico as well.
Regardless, it is difficult to rule out the possibility of Griezmann proving his worth to Barcelona and rediscovering his best form with the Catalan giants should he remain at the club.
#4 Harry Kane | Tottenham Hotspur
Harry Kane's future could play a vital role in the transfer plans of many clubs in Europe this summer, including the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona. The English superstar is one of the finest footballers in the world and is en route to a record-breaking Premier League campaign as he's currently at league-high tallies of 19 goals and 13 assists with eight games to go.
However, the real problem for the 27-year-old is the lack of silverware to show for his exploits. Kane has not won a single trophy with Tottenham Hotspur during his eight-year spell with the senior side and, as he turns 28 this summer, he's running out of time to compete for major honours.
The Athletic's David Ornstein recently revealed that Kane will consider an exit from Spurs this summer should they miss out on UCL football, which appears likely as things stand. He could follow the likes of David Beckham and Gary Linekar by moving to LaLiga.
Reports from Spain suggest that the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona are monitoring Kane's situation and consider him a viable alternative to Erling Haaland (more on him later). The English captain could be a massive addition to Barcelona and could potentially form a great partnership with Lionel Messi as he is one of the deadliest players in the world in front of goal. Kane has bagged 20 league goals or more in four of his last six seasons and could be the true heir to Luis Suarez's throne at the Nou Camp.
Also read: 5 Greatest players to never win the Premier League title
#3 Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund
There is little doubt that Erling Haaland is set to be the most in-demand name of the upcoming transfer market. Borussia Dortmund's crown jewel is already considered to be one of the best centre-forwards in the world due to his sublime goalscoring feats as he's smashed in 49 goals in just 53 games for the Bundesliga side.
Haaland is the youngest player on this list but is arguably the most high-profile of the lot, at least given the demand for a player of his ilk in the current transfer climate. The 20-year-old has long been tipped to be a target for Real Madrid, but it was recently reported that Joan Laporta and co held a meeting with Mino Raiola and Haaland's representatives over a blockbuster move to Barcelona.
Should he make the move to the Nou Camp to partner Lionel Messi in attack, it could prove to be one of the most devastating combinations in world football. The Argentine is one of the best chance-creators in the sport and with the service that Haaland would receive, he could potentially go on to break a host of goalscoring records.
A player of Haaland's quality could also help the Blaugrana convince Lionel Messi to remain at the club as the Norwegian could be a game-changer. However, it is important to note that he could cost Barcelona a record fee and could command a small fortune in terms of wages and other bonuses.
#2 Sergio Aguero | Manchester City
After a decade of excellence for Manchester City, Sergio Aguero has officially announced that he is set to depart from the club as a free agent come summer. Aguero has proven to be one of the best-ever foreign imports the Premier League has seen and has scored more goals than any non-English player, with a staggering 181 strikes to his name. His tally is only bettered by Andy Cole, Wayne Rooney, and record scorer Alan Shearer.
The Argentine is known to be one of Lionel Messi's closest acquaintances as the pair have known each other since the very beginning of their professional careers for La Albiceleste. The Barcelona captain has reportedly asked the club to sign Aguero this summer to reunite with his compatriot at the Nou Camp, and a striker of his quality could vastly improve their options.
Aguero will be available on a free transfer, which could make him even more of a viable option for Barcelona to consider this summer. Given that they have been linked with moves for players in other positions as well, a Bosman move for a stop-gap option could help fund other big-money transfers should they wish to.
That being said, it remains to be seen if Aguero does leave England to reunite with Lionel Messi at Barcelona as reports from England claim that Aguero would like to remain in England to break more records in the Premier League.
#1 Memphis Depay | Olympique Lyon
Memphis Depay is among the few stars who have been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona for over a year. The Dutchman has always been viewed as a player with immense talent and technical ability, but over the last two years or so, he's shown a sense of maturity to his game that has made him a much more complete attacker.
Depay was at the heart of Olympique Lyon's dream run into the UCL semi-final in 2019/20, where they lost to eventual champions Bayern Munich. The Les Gones captain was their highest scorer with six goals in eight appearances and also managed nine goals in just 13 games during the curtailed 2019/20 Ligue 1 campaign. This year, he's picked up right where he left off as he's racked up 16 league goals and nine assists for Lyon.
Depay could be a great fit to line up alongside Lionel Messi and co at Barcelona. Given that he's already worked with Ronald Koeman for the national side, the manager knows how to bring the best out of the forward who could add another dimension to the Blaugrana.
Whether it's on the left of Lionel Messi, ahead of him, or in a two-striker set-up in Koeman's new 3-5-2 set-up this season, Depay could be an ideal player for Barcelona this summer. The fact that he will be available on a free makes it an incredibly attractive proposition for the club and Ronald Koeman has already claimed in the past that he is keen to reunite with the Dutchman.
Also read: Top 10 strikers in the world this season (2020/21)
