• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Player Lionel Messi tipped for stardom in 2016 finally set to get his big move as Premier League club ready to activate 'release clause'

Home> Football> Transfer News

Updated 21:05 22 May 2025 GMT+1Published 20:59 22 May 2025 GMT+1

Player Lionel Messi tipped for stardom in 2016 finally set to get his big move as Premier League club ready to activate 'release clause'

Messi is set to be proven right eight years on from his recommendation.

Ryan Smart

Ryan Smart

A player that Lionel Messi tipped for big things all the way back in 2016 is set to earn a move to the Premier League, according to a new report.

The Barcelona and Argentina legend is no stranger to picking out top talent, as evidenced in 2020 when he named 15 youngsters who were 'on the rise'.

That was part of a partnership with trading card company Topps, with Messi choosing the likes of Eder Militao, Frenkie de Jong and Trent Alexander-Arnold as players he believed could dominate the game for years to come.

Advert

That list did carry with it some not-so-successful predictions, but most of his selections have lived up to expectation.

Four years earlier, meanwhile, Messi compiled another list of talents that he believed could achieve stardom in world football.

Among those picks was Ajax striker Kasper Dolberg, who went on to score 27 goals in all competitions in his debut campaign for the Dutch giants in 2016/17.

A move to Nice followed in 2019, but despite scoring 11 Ligue 1 goals in just 23 matches in his debut campaign, his scoring form dried up for a number of seasons.

Advert

It took a move to Belgian Pro League side Anderlecht for Dolberg to rediscover that form, and he has smashed in 25 goals in all competitions this term.

According to Voetbal Krant, the 27-year-old's form has attracted the interest of newly-promoted Leeds United.

While the striker does not have an official release clause, Anderlecht are adamant that the Whites must pay no less than £12.6 million to sign him.

Joel Piroe scored 19 Championship goals for Daniel Farke's side this season, but second-choice striker Mateo Joseph only netted on three occasions.

Advert

Patrick Bamford, meanwhile, failed to score in any of his 17 appearances and, at 31, might be moved on from Elland Road this summer as the club prepare for life back in the top division of English football.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Lionel Messi, Premier League, Leeds United, Transfers

Ryan Smart
Ryan Smart

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

26 mins ago
an hour ago
3 hours ago
  • 26 mins ago

    Florian Wirtz sends major warning to rest of Premier League as fans react to his first interview as a Liverpool player

    The 22-year-old has joined Liverpool in a club record deal.

    Football
  • an hour ago

    Real Madrid staff have advised Xabi Alonso against using three players at Club World Cup

    It comes after an inspection took place in America.

    Football
  • 3 hours ago

    PSG set to make transfer history with instant response to Club World Cup defeat

    The Ligue 1 champions are closing in on a big-money deal.

    Football
  • 3 hours ago

    Outrageous 'donkey free-kick' routine was so genius it got banned immediately

    The genius free-kick was made illegal

    Football
  • Wayne Rooney snubbed Lionel Messi when picking the one player he wishes he played with
  • Lionel Messi tipped three players to challenge Lamine Yamal for 2025 Ballon d'Or and he got none of them right
  • Lionel Messi 'breaks' FIFA protocol after Inter Miami's win over Porto and no other player has got away with it at the Club World Cup
  • Speed finally came face-to-face with Lionel Messi at Club World Cup and what happened next sums it up