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The year is 2018 and incredibly Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are still arguably the best two players on the planet. The superstar duo has dominated football for most of the last decade, however, Messi is now alone in Spain after his Portuguese contemporary left for Juventus over the summer.
The Argentine turned 31 over the summer, and Barcelona are quickly approaching the point where they need to start planning for a future without their best player of all-time. The forward is contracted to the club until 2021 and Messi has repeatedly stated that before he retires he wants to play for his boyhood club, the Newell’s Old Boys. While Messi will most likely be a Barcelona player for the next few years, here are five players who may eventually have the incredibly tough task of replacing the Argentine.
#5 Ousmane Dembele
This young Frenchman is one of the most talented youngsters in Europe, and he also happens to already be a Barcelona player. When accounting for transfer add-on fees, Dembele could cost Barcelona well over £100 million, which is a significant investment for such an unproven player.
Aged just 21, Dembele will continue to develop while playing alongside the best players in Europe. Ultimately, Barcelona will hope that the forward will eventually be able to step up and fill Messi's shoes upon his departure.
#4 Gabriel Jesus
In his two years with Manchester City, this Brazilian star has quickly established himself as one the Premier League's most feared front-men. Aged just 21, Jesus will continue to improve his end product over the next few years, and this could ultimately transform him into one of the world's deadliest strikers.
Barcelona of course have a long history with South American stars, and Jesus would likely be interested if the the Catalan's came calling. The Brazilian also has the experience of playing in Pep Guardiola's three man attack system, which is incredibly similar to the system used by Barcelona.
#3 Neymar
Neymar left Barcelona in 2017 due to his ambition and desire to lead his own team. The Brazilian reportedly now regrets the move, and Barcelona themselves have struggled in his absence. It is heavily reported that Neymar wants a return to Spain, however, a potential move back to Barcelona would be complicated by interest from rivals Real Madrid.
Neymar has the footballing ability to replace Lionel Messi, and many would argue that he is the best player in the world outside of Ronaldo and Messi. Logistics, however, mean that Neymar may never fulfil his destiny in a Barcelona shirt, and even worse for Barcelona fans, he may be turning out in the white of Madrid.
#2 Philippe Coutinho
Coutinho is the second player on this list that is currently a member of Barcelona's squad. In contrast to Dembele, the 26-year-old has already established himself as a starter in Spain, and Coutinho has vastly improved his production in terms of assists and goals.
If Messi was to leave in 2021, Coutinho would still firmly be in the prime of his career at 29. It is worth noting that the former Liverpool man continues to improve every season, so the Brazilian may be among the best players in the world in three years time. Coutinho even has the support of Barcelona legend Rivaldo, who has tipped the midfielder to eventually replace Messi.
#1 Paulo Dybala
Dybala is as close as Barcelona will ever get to a direct replacement for Lionel Messi. The pair are both from Argentina, and they share traits such as dribbling ability, speed, vision and the ability to play anywhere along the forward line. The Juventus man is also aged just 24, and he will likely replace Messi as the main man for Argentina.
Dybala was linked to Barcelona over the summer, but Lionel Messi expressed hesitation by stating that their similar playing styles meant that the two struggled to play together. Despite this, Barcelona will struggle to find a better replacement for Lionel Messi than his Argentine compatriot. If the Catalan club are serious about Dybala, they will need to make a move soon, as other teams will also be desperate to sign a player who may eventually become the best in the world.
