Barcelona already have two successors to Messi on their roster

Lionel Messi’s career at Barcelona will come to an end sooner or later given his age, meaning that the Blaugrana must plan for life after a golden era.

Barcelona were looking to set to part with Lionel Messi during the summer transfer window, but several complications regarding clarity over the player’s contract meant that he agreed to stay until 2021. While the extension of his stay beyond the current season seems probable, the club has to start preparing for life after the 33-year-old.

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Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have been tipped as two players who can be brought into the Camp Nou as potential replacements for the Argentina international, but both their propositions will be expensive and tedious given Barca’s relationship with Paris Saint-Germain. Plus, the former will move to Real Madrid and the latter seems happy in France now.

Keeping in mind the club’s financial position following the coronavirus pandemic as well as their need to rebuild in several other positions, Barca may have to look at existing options in order to replace the world’s greatest player. In truth, doing that would not be difficult though it will take two players in all likelihood to match Messi’s work.

Ansu Fati has already made a name for himself and the Catalans have a slapped a release clause of 450 million euros onto him. The 17-year-old has a plethora of skills that make him an overall package and worthy enough replacement to Messi in the near future. His pace, goal-scoring and dribbling are key skills which stand out over a host of others.

On the other hand, Konrad de la Fuente has also established in the good books at the club. The player became the first American to feature for Barcelona and that is likely to transcend into the La Liga and Copa del Rey fixtures in the course of the season. The 19-year-old is another winger who looks to be a serious threat.

De la Fuente is capable of playing on either flank and his versatility may give him the edge over Ansu Fati, considering the latter is most comfortable only on the left hand side. The US international has an incredible burst of pace and his well-calibrated passing into the box will allow him to get into the forefront of the assist charts as he touches his prime.

With Fati and de la Fuente bringing two exquisite qualities on the table, Ronald Koeman’s answer for a Messi replacement may well be in the roster. While things are easier said than done, the Dutchman is known to turn a corner as he most recently did with a Netherlands side that missed out on World Cup qualification in 2018, but is looking all-new right now.

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