While Lionel Messi and Barcelona have become syonymous in recent years, the Argentine’s current contract uncertainty has sparked speculation that he could be leaving the club at the end of the season, with this potentially his final campaign at the Nou Camp.
The 33-year-old has won ten La Liga titles and lifted the Champions League on four occasions since making his debut at the Capm Nou back in 2004, yet the club’s recent woes have left him eyeing up a potential exit.
The La Masia product looked set to leave the Catalan giants last summer after believing he was free to leave the club due to a clause in his contract, yet in order to avoid a legal dispute, the forward opted to stay till at least the end of his current deal.
While he’s once again been in superb form with 26 goals and nine assists in all competitions, Barca look set to miss out to Atletico Madrid in the title race, while they recently suffered a disappointing Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
The Ligue 1 side, as well as Manchester City, have been rumoured as possible destinations should he depart this summer, although the arrival of Joan Laporta as the new president at Barcelona could inspire a change of heart from the diminutive magician.
With his future up in the air, perhaps it’s time to appreciate just how good he’s really been over the last 15 or so years, starting with a look at his five greatest goals for his current club:
[dugoutvideo id=”eyJrZXkiOiJ3MGxtZ2MwNiIsInAiOiJ0aGUtZm9vdGJhbGwtZmFpdGhmdWwiLCJwbCI6IiJ9″ partner=”the-football-faithful”]
Read – Five times Lionel Messi lit up the Champions League
Read Also – Picking the best Barcelona XI of the Lionel Messi era