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Lionel Messi has been a standout performer for club and country. The diminutive Argentinian, widely regarded as one of the best players to have graced the game, is one of the last vestiges of the true one-club man.
Making his professional debut with Barcelona almost two decades ago, Messi has scored numerous goals and won innumerable accolades for his club. Considering his contributions, Messi, whose contract with the Blaugrana ran out this summer, is expected to re-sign with the La Liga giants.
Over the years, Messi has played with a plethora of world-class teammates like Ronaldinho, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Luis Suarez and Neymar, to name a few. But in the last few years, the Argentine has had to shoulder a bulk of Barcelona's attacking burden.
The overreliance on Messi subsequently resulted in rather modest returns for the Blaugrana on the field.
While Messi has continued to churn out fabulous individual campaigns, Barcelona endured their first trophyless campaign in more than a decade in 2019-20 and only won the Copa Del Rey last season.
Considering his pedigree and clout at the club, the soft-spoken Messi has reportedly asked his club to sign several quality players over the years. Here's a look at five of the best of them in no particular order:
#5 Lautaro Martinez
Lautaro Martinez is one of the most sought-after strikers in the game after coming off two excellent campaigns at Inter Milan. Martinez also had a decent campaign at Copa America 2021, complementing his captain Messi's efforts to help Argentina win their first title in nearly three decades.
With the departure of Neymar in 2017 and Luis Suarez last summer, Barcelona have lacked a consistent goalscorer who could take the pressure off Messi. Antoine Griezmann was signed in 2019, but the Frenchman hasn't really hit the heights expected of him at Camp Nou.
Last year, Messi reportedly spoke with his compatriot about the latter's move to Barcelona, as per Adrian Fernandez, who 'discovered' Martinez, during an interaction with Sport. Fernandez had said in this regard:
"Messi called him and wants him by his side soon, I have no doubt. For that reason, the deal to sign him is almost there. I know things will go well in Barcelona and that Lautaro will be an excellent replacement for Suarez. He's the ideal heir. Thanks to Barca, he will continue to grow as a player and a man."
Later, Martinez said that he was 'very close' to joining Barcelona, as quoted by ESPN Argentina:
“I was truly very close to joining Barcelona and I even talked it over with Messi,” he said. “However, the Blaugrana had economic problems at that moment, so I decided to stay at Inter. It proved to be the right decision, especially as we then won the Scudetto."
With Barcelona's financial woes yet to abate, it remains to be seen if Martinez will arrive at Camp Nou.
#4 Neymar
As part of an attacking triumvirate also comprising Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar formed a devastating partnership up front for Barcelona.
The pair shared a great camaraderie both on and off the field, with Neymar often talking about Messi as his good friend and idol, and Messi reciprocating the same to the Brazilian.
After a rather acrimonious exit from Barcelona in the summer of 2017, Neymar has had an injury-riddled stint at PSG and talked several times about a return to Camp Nou. Messi, on his part, reportedly told his club that they should do everything in their power to bring back the Brazilian.
During an interview with Mundo Deportivo last year, Messi reiterated his desire to see the Brazilian back with him at Barcelona, saying:
"I say it many times, on a sporting level, Ney is one of the best in the world, and I would love for him to come back."
With Neymar signing a contract extension with PSG this year, it seems unlikely he'll reunite with Messi at Barcelona any time soon.
#3 Angel Di Maria
Angel Di Maria and Lionel Messi share a great rapport with each other, thanks to their matches for Argentina over the years. The two did meet in La Liga for a few seasons, but did so on opposite sides of the pitch, as Di Maria was playing for Barcelona's arch-rivals Real Madrid.
But three years after Di Maria left Madrid, Messi reportedly asked the Barcelona board to make a 'concerted' effort to bring in his compatriot to Camp Nou. That came just a few months before Neymar would leave the club to join PSG.
In a later interview with L'Equipe, Di Maria acknowledged Barcelona's interest in his services, saying:
“I was very happy in Paris. But people at the club at the time told me some things, which turned out to be lies in the end. Barca tried to get me to come. The two clubs discussed, but PSG did not want to sell me and that ended there."
With Di Maria well settled in the French capital after a decent club season and a Copa America 2021 triumph with Messi, he looks unlikely to join his compatriot at Camp Nou. If at all the two turn out for the same club team, it could be at PSG, as Messi is yet to be re-signed by Barcelona after the latter's contract ran out this summer.
#2 Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi go back a long way. The two young Argentines won the Olympic gold medal for their country at the 2008 Beijing Games and have since been prolific scorers for the senior team.
At club level, the duo locked horns regularly in La Liga before Aguero left Atletico Madrid to join Manchester City, where he went on to become the most prolific foreign goalscorer in Premier League history.
Aguero has now joined Barcelona on a free transfer this summer. But last summer, after the ignominous exit of Luis Suarez, Messi reportedly asked his club to bring in Aguero.
#1 Joshua Kimmich
Joshua Kimmich is an odd man out on this list, as the German international has never played with Lionel Messi with the same club team.
But the versatile Bayern Munich ace, who can play as a defensive midfielder or right-back, was one of three players reportedly 'demanded' by Messi; the two other players were Neymar and Milan Skriniar.
Of course, none of the transfers materialized, and Barcelona went on to endure a first trophyless campaign in more than a decade following a 2-8 mauling against Kimmich's Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
A few weeks later, Messi would drop a bombshell asking to be released from the club before he reluctantly stayed put. Now a free agent, Messi looks all set to be re-signed by Barcelona.
