Barcelona’s most recent stumbles in the Champions League could be finally put behind, courtesy of a great move suggested by Lionel Messi.
Barcelona suffered two Champions League mishaps in as many years in very similar fashions. The first time, they went to Rome with a 4-1 lead and returned home knocked out of the competition, while this time out it was a 3-0 success that was blown away in Liverpool. One of the most furious players in the team is Lionel Messi.
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The Argentinian’s fury is quite understandable because he has been doing most of the work. Messi scored twice in the Camp Nou and seemed like the only player from Ernesto Valverde’s side that could ignite a spark in the Anfield. Not just in Europe, but even in the domestic competitions, Messi is having to bail out the team time and again.
According to Diario GOL, the captain wants changes in the summer. He has recommended that the Blaugrana gets rid of as many as six players. Rafinha Alcantara, Denis Suarez, Andre Gomes and Marc Cucurella and as per the accounting done by Lionel Messi, he expects the four fringe players to be sold for 120 to 140 million euros.
Meanwhile, the most liquid players in the 31-year-old’s opinion are Samuel Umtiti. Barcelona have not yet set a price tag on the goalie, but the Frenchman commands an asking price of 80 million euros. With that said, the duo may head to Juventus and it would not be difficult for the Spanish giants to demand 120 million euros for the duo combined.
Moving on to improvements, Messi wants Joshua Kimmich, who is worth 60 million euros to come in as a locum to Nelson Semedo and Sergi Roberto. Matthijs de Ligt will be worth 80 million euros and might well end up being the ‘next Carles Puyol’ that the club was looking for. At the same time, Griezmann’s signing is also demanded for, at 120 million euros.
Do you think the wanted players would play a role in guiding the club to Champions League glory?