5 players who could replace Lionel Messi at Barcelona

#3: Thiago Almada

Thiago Almada for Velez

Thiago Almada is one of the brightest prospects from South America at the moment. If you watch one of his performances this season, it will be easy to understand why.

With many European clubs already interested in his services (including Arsenal and Manchester City), it wouldn't be very surprising for Barcelona to set their sights on Almada. On paper, the young Argentinean talent looks like a player who has the ability to replace Lionel Messi on the right wing for the Catalan club.

Almada stands out for his ability to drop deep and create chances for his teammates, something that Lionel Messi has been doing at Barcelona with aplomb for the last few seasons.

While Almada would have to improve in front of goal in order to be a suitable replacement for Lionel Messi, he has the right fundamentals to become a star for Barcelona in the future. His decision-making is fabulous for a 19-year-old and his passing abilities are impressive as well.

#2: Marcus Rashford

Manchester United v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League

It's hard to see Marcus Rashford leaving Manchester United anytime soon. Even so, we can't ignore the fact that the young English player is one of the most suitable replacements for Lionel Messi, at least on paper.

He is already one of the best wingers in the world at the moment. While he struggled for consistency in his early career, he seems to have found it since Ole Gunnar Solksjaer moved him to the left wing.

Rashford is known for his excellent play-making abilities as well as his great finishing touch. While he is not a great dribbler like Lionel Messi, Rashford knows how to get past defenders and create chances for himself or his teammates.

His productivity in the final third has been better than that of Sadio Mane or Aubemayang since the Premier League restarted a month ago. When in-form, Rashford is one of the best offensive players in the world. While he has room for further development, he is a talent that could solve many long-term problems for Barcelona.

#1: Jadon Sancho

SC Paderborn 07 v Borussia Dortmund - Bundesliga

Jadon Sancho's name seems to be on everyone's lips this season. He has been linked with a lot of big European clubs as the footballing world eagerly awaits his next career move.

Even though Barcelona haven't been linked with the English player, they are a club that could enter the race to secure the services of Sancho. In terms of attributes on the football pitch, it's hard to see a better replacement for Lionel Messi than Sancho.

Even though he is not a conventional winger, Sancho has proved time and time again that he has no problems playing in that position. He is an excellent chance creator and also possesses great goal-scoring abilities.

Sancho is able to dictate offensive plays. An interesting statistic about Lionel Messi and Sancho has been that they have been the fastest players this season to reach 10+ goals and assists for their clubs.

While it's next to impossible to have a ready-made replacement for Lionel Messi at Barcelona, Sancho is the player that fits Messi's profile the most among the various choices available.