Barcelona Identifies Top Lionel Messi Replacement If He Leaves

By Mike Parrott

Barcelona have identified the replacement for Lionel Messi if he leaves this summer. The Argentine has made it clear that he wants to leave according to reports.

The notion of Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona isn't going away anytime soon, and if anything, actually looks legitimate this time.

After their embarrassing loss to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, Quique Setien was sacked in place for Ronald Koeman with talks of Gerard Pique, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets all being added to the transfer list.

With Messi only having one year remaining on his current deal, some members of the Barcelona board are leaning towards selling Messi now and investing the return into younger players and rebuilding the club.

Their supposed priority if Messi leaves is Juventus forward Paulo Dybala.

According to the Sun, The 26-year-old is reportedly demanding Juve almost double his weekly pay to £260,000 - rivalling Cristiano Ronaldo, Matthijs de Ligt and Gonzalo Higuain.

And Barcelona are said to have made Dybala their number one target if Messi's unhappiness ends his 17-year stint at the Nou Camp - with PSG, Inter Milan, and Manchester City tipped to be his main suitors.

New manager Ronald Koeman has spoken previously about the need to replace players such as Suarez, Pique and Busquets while playing Frenkie De Jong and Antoine Griezmann in their favoured positions.

What do you think of Dybala being the replacement for Lionel Messi at Barcelona?

Let us know in the comments below.