On The Ball | Manchester City signing Lionel Messi could see Barcelona raid Liverpool
- New boss Ronald Koeman wants Georginio Wijnaldum at Camp Nou after coaching him for Netherlands national side
- Former Everton boss also keen on Virgil van Dijk as club eye rebuild whether Messi leaves or not
If Lionel Messi moves from Barcelona to Manchester City the knock-on effect could be significant for a number of clubs. Liverpool will need to brace themselves for a raid on the squad by the Catalan giants.
Ronald Koeman, the new Barca coach, has already put Georginio Wijnaldum high on his wish list. The 29-year-old is in the final year of his contract at Anfield and is not expected to extend his deal. Koeman knows the midfielder well from his time in charge of Holland and sees Wijnaldum as someone who can add energy and discipline for Barcelona.
It may not stop there. The departure of Messi would signal a change of strategy at the Nou Camp. For more than a decade, the team has been built around one man. Everything was designed to suit the Argentinian. That made sense because Messi was – and remains – the best player in the world. Barcelona’s future is likely to be less focused on individuals and more on a team ethic. Koeman wants to do things the Liverpool way.
Jurgen Klopp’s side has many fine components but does not contain a genuine galactico. It is a unit that is greater than the sum of its parts. That is the opposite of Barcelona.
Koeman is also keen on Virgil van Dijk. The centre back has three years left on his contract but the 29-year-old is reaching the sort of age when players start thinking about the final big move of their career. There is no indication that Van Dijk is unsettled but Barcelona have a way of turning people’s heads.
