Top 5 realistic options for Lionel Messi this summer

#1 Barcelona

Messi is the talisman of Barcelona and is the defining image of the club in the modern era

But the most likely, and most obvious, option for Messi at this stage of his career would be to remain at Barcelona. He has spoken openly about his family life and the security they enjoy with the Catalan club. It is the club that shaped his professional career and his personal development. His character has been built upon the values of La Masia. There will be an unwavering desire to keep Messi at the Camp Nou, and they will match any price to ensure he is not lost.

He is the figure that represents everything about the club in the current era, and they will support his wishes in the transfer window if it helps to retain his services. Luis Suárez has been missed by Messi in attack, and there is every chance that Neymar could reverse his record-breaking move to Paris Saint-Germain next summer.

But Messi also has an additional responsibility at Barcelona now, and in the same way that he was protected by the elder statesmen when he made his introduction as a teenage sensation, he now fulfils the same role nurturing the likes of Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig as they take their first formative steps with the club.

This is a time of transition at Barcelona under new manger Quique Setién, but it is also the start of an exciting new era that Messi can help to inspire and shape. While the other options are realistic for the reasons explained, it is Barcelona that holds Messi’s heart as he enters the final years of his career, and neither party are likely to feel ready to let go just yet.