Lionel Messi has been a marquee player for Barcelona for almost a decade now. The La Masia graduate is undoubtedly the most talented player in the world and he has always proclaimed that the Catalan club is the one that he loves. However, this narrative changed last year when the 34-year-old player decided that it would be best for him to leave the club and search for a new challenge.
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There were many reasons as to why the eternal captain of the club wanted to leave the team where he grew up, management being one of them. Messi stated in an interview last year that he was not satisfied with the way the Barca board was handling the problems in the club. Instead of properly recognizing the weak areas of the team and forming a well throughout plan, the club was just pouring money into big transfers in hopes of getting a quick fix.
This along with the fact that the Catalans were no longer playing like an elite team in Europe, made Messi feel frustrated to the point where he filed an official request for the termination of his contract. However, due to legal reasons he stayed on at the club and it may have been a blessing in disguise for him, as he went on to be the most influential player last season in the La Liga, and he bagged the most number of goals in the league.
The player once again showed the world just how important he is to Barcelona. It would be a huge loss for the club if they lost the player on a free transfer however, if the Argentine does decide to stay on, it will be a big boost for the club. Let’s look at some of the ways the Catalan Kings will benefit if Messi decides to stay on.