If the choice was Messi for a year or two OR Dani Olmo who would you choose?
I really don't think this is a big deal. It's a short-term move for sure, but signing Messi shouldn't stop them from signing likes of Vitor Roque or other highly rated South American talent for example, and IMO that is what we should do. Sign 2-3 of those super talents from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and hope they are ready in a couple of years because I have no faith in the current management being able to sign the players we need to compete better.
Only issue with signing Messi is if he performs well enough to hide Xavi's flaws being a mediocre manager.
Well, why does it have to Messi or Olmo? Can't I chose someone else for 40-50m?
And anyways shouldn't the question be Messi for a year or two OR Porque posting on Barcaforum for a year or two?
My issue is what it represents, and that we will be returning to the problems of when Messi initially left, except with the benefit of levers to get out of it.
-Any financial benefits that Messi may bring, will surely be offset by his wages which (again) break the salary cap we have and should be working astutely to restructure. And he will also take a share of revenues which is affecting our salary cap budget.
-Messi is now 36. But also returning to a familiar environment where he will work as hard, or as lax as he wants to. He also can't and won't be benched, especially given how we need his image for the financial benefits that he does bring.
-Ageing squad. Just in the first 11 you have Busquets (35), Lewandowski (35) and Messi (36). Two of those never get subbed (Messi and Lewa) and the other hardly subbed. Then you have Alba who will now si o si stay after 2024, and Bob. Alonso is renewed and Xavi requested Inigo over Ndicka. Gundagon will arrive in midfield (unless a big offer arrives- Chelsea rumoured). So in 2025 we need to replace in the 11 Messi, Busquets and Lewandowski. In 2021 we needed to replace Busquets, Messi and Suarez ..
Then in the squad we need to replace Alba (still here) Alonso and Inigo (Pique), Gundagon (Vidal/Rakitic). That's no progress for what Laporta mandated to change. And that's also ignoring the other squad changes needed in the "not an old man" age bracket.
-Salary cap- we are returning to loading the salary cap with high earning players in the wrong age category, who have no resale value and could drop off at any moment like Suarez did. And we're tying them down medium term rather than year to year.
-Team dynamics. We're again going to rupture the building of a modern team to one that works to compensation the physical deficiencies of the aged core players. Everything will go through Messi again which will marginalise other attack threats like Dembele again.
-Messidepencia. Touched upon above. We all know what this is. In Europe it is proven that it doesnt work with our trashing pre Messi and PSG exits post Messi. Yes we may pass the group stage with Messi back, but we should pass the group stage without Messi. That's on other things than the man with the half black leg.
Besides, we walked the league this season without him. Logic says he is not the invested piece for this 11 to take the next step.
This is why I don't want him
Now in his favour. I would take the option of 2 years IF we had the right 11 in the squad to effectively utilize him. Said a few times, but basically that means Messi is the only old player in the 11 with a dynamic 9 outfield players working around him. Basically no Lewandowski and no Busquets.
Example: Steg-Kounde-Araujo-Christ-Balde/FdJ-XXXX-Pedri-XXXXorGavi/Messi-HaalandorOsimheim
That's an example in the 11 that Xavi has found the most success this season.
But clearly that is not the approach we are going with.
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