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Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha believes Lionel Messi will fit in well at Arsenal under manager Mikel Arteta.
The Argentine forward is likely to leave Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the end of his contract this summer. He has been linked with a return to Barcelona as well as a move to either Saudi Arabia or the MLS (via ESPN).
However, Saha believes that Lionel Messi could also move to the Premier League and that the Gunners would be the perfect side for him. He told OLBG.com (via Daily Star):
"Lionel is a very smart player and can be an Arsenal type player. He will have to have a manager that realises he is not going to run all day. Are Arsenal the players that can do the Xavi [Hernandez] and [Sergio] Busquets role well?"
He added:
"With Messi, you will be guaranteed 20-30 goals per season. He will also assist you in a lot of plays. It's about finding the right balance which will help him fit in. But Messi will be exciting to have in the Premier League."
Arsenal have had a terrific season, where they have competed for the Premier League title against Manchester City. However, some poor results have seen them almost entirely fall out of the race with just two games to go.
Louis Saha on Lionel Messi potentially moving to Saudi Arabia
Louis Saha also believes believes Lionel Messi should not move to Saudi Arabia as it will tarnish his legacy. The former Manchester United footballer claimed that the Argentine and Cristiano Ronaldo can still play at a good level in Europe.
Messi has been linked with to Al-Hilal, who have offered with a massive contract (via Fabrizio Romano). If he joins the club, he could renew his rivalry with Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr FC in January.
However, Saha believes the PSG forward shouldn't do so, as he said:
"Lionel Messi is going to Saudi Arabia way too soon. He still has a lot to offer any club. I say the same for Cristiano as well.
"It will be great for the country to have that attention. In this industry people can be mean, demanding and won't respect their legacy as much, so they should always try to protect it themselves."
He added:
"Don't sacrifice your legacy for things you want now. I will never understand why Ronaldo went and I will ask the same question of Messi if he goes as well. Their legacies took 20 years to build, it doesn't make sense!"
Lionel Messi has been in terrific form this season despite being 35 years of age. He has made 39 goals contributions in 38 games across competitions for PSG. He also led Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup trophy, winning the Golden Ball in the process.
