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Where Could Lionel Messi Land?

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By @NickBurgess92

Lionel Messi

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Recent rumors have rocked the footballing world, as rumblings of a Lionel Messi exit from Barcelona intensified. Of course, the club are denying any hint of an exit from the four-time Ballon D’Or winner and their star man, which many view as the greatest to ever play the game; but as there are rumors of an exit, clubs now have something to go on if they want to go all in for the diminutive Argentine.

So where are some clubs that could land the mercurial talent?

The first thing to look at is which club has the most money, as any sale of Messi would likely come with the highest price tag of any footballer in history. The first few clubs would be in England, specifically Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. Roman Abramovich, Sheikh Mansour and the global brand installed by the Glazer Group have given these three clubs a financial leg up in world football, and it shows.

Chelsea have often been criticized for splashing the cash, while Manchester City has spent over £300 million on transfers since Mansour took over, and United showed their financial firepower by spending over £150 million just this past summer.

The next two clubs that could afford him are French clubs AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain. The Monaco project almost failed before it took off, with them unloading both Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez in the same summer, but they have proven they can attract top talent for top prices. In addition, Monaco is one of the most beautiful places in the world to live and there is no income tax, allowing for higher wages in the principality. PSG can also afford Messi after Nasser Al-Khelaifi and the Qatar Sports Investment Group took over in 2011.

The final club is the most unlikely but the wealthiest, and that is Real Madrid CF. A move for Messi would dent, but not break, their finances. So where should he go?

England seems to be out due to the physical nature of the Premier League. Messi is strong, but his small stature and technical prowess over his physicality are better suited for a slower, less intense league. He certainly has the talent to take the Premier League by the scruff of the neck, but only if he stays out of the medical room.

Real Madrid is completely unrealistic as he would be a footballing pariah, so that is out as well. This only really leaves two real options.

Both French teams are in the Champions League, and can offer a top-level football to Messi. Monaco is undoubtedly the weaker of the two, but it has location and wages on its side. PSG, on the other hand, are perennial contenders for the Ligue 1 title, and have the chops to make a substantial run in Europe. This season, they beat Barcelona at home in the group stages of the competition, and look set to win the group even with Zlatan Ibrahimovic injured.

Messi could do far worse than to head to Paris should his time at Barcelona be drawing to a close. Linking up with compatriots Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore would also smooth the transition if Messi were ever to decide to head abroad, as he appears to be a natural fit to become the heir to Ibrahimovic’s team.

Nick Burgess is a soccer columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickBurgess92, “Like” him on Facebook and connect with him on Google.

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