Lionel Messi’s ego sees him veto a sensational Barcelona signing

Barcelona giving their captain a big say is haunting them again.

Barcelona are chasing Lautaro Martinez and Neymar this summer and Lionel Messi’s desperation of reuniting with at least one of his preferred targets has been talked of several times. The Barca captain is optimistic about the club landing one of the South Americans and has faint hopes about both the players arriving.

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Pragmatically speaking, it is difficult to see both those players arriving at the Camp Nou and even bringing in one is going to be a task that’s going to require a lot of work from the Catalans. Lautaro Martinez seems to be their primary target and Inter Milan have repeatedly referred their counterparts to the Argentinian’s release clause, a lucrative sum of 111 million euros.

In the process of wanting to team up with his compatriot, Lionel Messi vetoed the sensational and economical arrival of Mauro Icardi, Don Balon reports. The ex-La Masia product has now signed up with Paris Saint-Germain for a reported fee of 60 million euros, inclusive of bonuses and variables, and Barca could have been much better off with Icardi than Lautaro.

Needless to say that the former Inter Milan striker would have been a great fit under Quique Setien considering the fact that he spent the youth phase of his career in Barcelona’s highly acclaimed academy. Additionally, Icardi is a potent goal-scorer and has been doing the tricks for several years now, where Lautaro Martinez has an inflated price after just half a good season.

While the La Liga leaders by hook or by crook could end up signing their 22 year old target and cause a severe drain to their finances, it must be mentioned that Messi’s say in things has once again proven dear to them. This time out, Barca can’t fail with Martinez’s signing but if it happens, the question mark will once again be on the board instead of their dominant force.

Do you think Barca should’ve signed Icardi given that they had opportunity?