Lionel Messi wants to leave Barcelona and has been linked with a move to Arsenal but did you know Arsenal tried to sign him in 2003?

Lionel Messi has told Barcelona he wants to leave and, as a result, it feels like every top club on the planet has an interest in signing him.

After all, why wouldn’t they? This is Lionel Messi we’re talking about here.

But, given the financial situation at Arsenal and the amount of money Messi earns, it seems ridiculous that anyone would link Arsenal with a move for the 33-year-old who has 444 league goals with 201 assists in 485 La Liga games.

According to Dario Ole, via Sport Witness, Arsenal “are another great of the Premier League that could open the wallet and Messi would be a luxury reinforcement.”

Note that would ‘could’. Arsenal could.

They won’t. And I’ll give you 120 million reasons why:

https://twitter.com/HLNinEngeland/status/1298315199255126016

Back in 2003 Arsenal were interested in Lionel Messi according to Arsene Wenger which probably won’t surprise you as he was interested in everybody.

“We were in discussions with him when we bought [Cesc] Fabregas because Messi played [with him],” Wenger said (via TeamTalk).

“You can realise sometimes what fantastic youth teams you had before when you’re a club like Barcelona. In the same team, Messi, [Gerard] Pique and Fabregas.

“Pique and Fabregas came to England [with Manchester United and Arsenal respectively], Messi stayed in Spain. We were interested in him, but he was untouchable at the time.”

The sensible money must surely be on Messi rocking up in the blue half of Manchester to team up with his former boss at City.

While Manchester United are the more likely to meet Messi’s insane wages, City would offer him familiar surroundings in a new country.

Plus, they’re a far better side with a much better manager that Messi knows intimately.