All posts by n8rngtd.top

Zinedine Zidane continues to be linked with Manchester United, but Louis Saha is not convinced that the legendary Frenchman would want the job.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Questions being asked of Dutch coach
• Real Madrid legend still out of work
• Has avoided English jobs in the past

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  There is not a vacancy to be filled in the Old Trafford dugout at present, with Erik ten Hag still calling the shots. Questions have, however, been asked of how long the Dutchman will be sticking around for as United scratch around for consistency in Premier League and Champions League.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Former Real Madrid boss Zidane has been mooted as a potential United boss in the past, and figures prominently in current betting markets, but ex-Red Devils striker Saha has – speaking in association with – told GOAL when asked if the World Cup winner would be interested in a prominent English post: “Zinedine Zidane has been linked with Manchester United before but he’s a legend of the game and he’s willing to take his time. He’s had a lot of opportunities, with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and we heard his name with United before. I’ve seen reports that he might not be willing to come to the Premier League, so I'd be surprised if things have changed in that sense. Manchester United are still one of the biggest attractions but it’s a difficult place to come and have the success that we’re all looking for. That’s the biggest challenge, and whether he wants it is up to him.”

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Ten Hag is under contract until 2025 and did deliver Carabao Cup glory for United last season. Quizzed on whether he should fear the sack if collective performances do not improve, Saha added: "Being a manager of Manchester United, you have to accept the pressure of being sacked. That’s the reality of being manager of Manchester United, especially when you’re not playing well. Big managers before Erik ten Hag have come in and been sacked.

  "But last year, Ten Hag came in and changed a lot of things but now there’s some frustration which we saw with other managers. He has to be aware of that and I'm sure he is. There won’t be any surprises, even if he somehow manages to create Ten Hag mania, it always comes down to results. Even Sir Alex Ferguson was under pressure at United, and that’s a normal position that Ten Hag will just have to get used to. He has to get points in the league and the Champions League as well as getting the team back on track because at the moment, it’s not quite there."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  United are sat eighth in the Premier League as things stand, with 15 points collected from nine games, while they finally got off the mark in Europe last time out when edging out FC Copenhagen 1-0 – with Andre Onana required to save a stoppage-time penalty in that contest.

Erik ten Hag has seen the “crazy idea” of returning to Ajax speculated on if he were to get the sack at Premier League giants Manchester United.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Dutch coach struggling for positive results
• Setbacks suffered at home and abroad
• Questions being asked of his future

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Dutch coach finds himself under pressure at Old Trafford after suffering potentially costly defeats in domestic and Champions League competition. The Red Devils lost their last fixture in the English top-flight to Crystal Palace, while back-to-back defeats have been suffered in Europe at the hands of Bayern Munich and Galatasaray.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ten Hag did deliver Carabao Cup glory and a top-four finish during his debut campaign in English football, but he has fallen out with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho along the way and desperately needs to deliver a reversal in fortune after being given more money to spend in the transfer market.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Former Ajax striker Kenneth Perez has suggested that Ten Hag could end up retracing his steps to Amsterdam after less than 18 months in Manchester. He has told : “Imagine if Erik ten Hag were fired, would it be very crazy for Ajax to ask him back? Manchester United is known for the fact that things can get difficult if things don’t go well. Then it’s not a crazy idea, is it?”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Ten Hag previously won three Eredivisie titles during his time at Ajax, taking in over 200 games at the helm, but he has found consistency hard to come by with United and is waiting on big-money additions such as Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund to come good in 2023-24.

Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard says he is not surprised by the team's struggles under Mauricio Pochettino this season.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Blues off to difficult start
• Have won once in PL this season
• Lampard says no quick fix for issues

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The London side hoped to recover from a disappointing 2022-23 campaign, in which they sacked two managers – Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter – before bringing club legend Lampard back for the remainder of the season.

  However, the Blues have endured a rough start to the season, having won just once in the Premier League this season since Pochettino was appointed coach in the summer.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lampard says the team should have performed better than the 12th-placed finish in the league that they accomplished last season, but maintains that there is no quick fix for their issues, suggesting Pochettino needs time to get his team in shape.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  "I'm not completely surprised with some of their difficulties, having lived it first hand at the end of the season. I came into a club where it had been eight months of results you don't expect from Chelsea, and that's working with two, in my opinion, very good managers, top managers, in Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.

  "I felt I could see some of the issues there, which were issues probably with confidence from results. When you're with Chelsea if you don't win that builds, that nervousness. And maybe some motivation amongst the squad which I think was probably through having such a big squad, unprecedented numbers. A lot of players felt their time was up at Chelsea or it was coming or maybe Chelsea were going to move them on and I lived that feeling."

  "So I think you have to affect it by hiring a very good manager in Mauricio Pochettino and then recruitment. So, there's big, big changeover, but there is no magic wand as such in football and the Premier League is the most unforgiving. I expected more in terms of points but I never felt it would be an instant turnaround."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Chelsea are in action against Fulham on Monday.

Christian Pulisic flattered to deceive as AC Milan were thumped 5-1 by Inter in the Derby della Madonnina on Saturday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Winger failed to make an impact
• Subbed off early in second half
• Milan well beaten

Milan endured a terrible derby, with Inter well superior at San Siro on Saturday.

A clever Henrikh Mkhitaryan finish and a brilliant goal from Marcus Thuram put them in full control going into half-time. Pulisic failed to leave his mark on the match at all during the first 45 minutes, and was removed just 11 minutes into the second half.

Rafael Leao gave the Rossoneri hope, but another strike from Mkhitaryan and a Hakan Calhanoglu penalty, along with a late Davide Frattesi goal, gave Inter a thumping win over their rivals. Fellow U.S. international Yunus Musah entered the fray with five minutes to spare, but it was too little too late for the 20-year-old to land an impact on the match.

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Inter offered real threat in the first half and were a goal up within 10 minutes, as Mkhitaryan turned the ball home in a crowded penalty box.

  A goal of the season contender then came from Thuram, as he dropped his shoulder on the left corner of the box and cut inside before unleashing a hellacious strike into the top corner to make it 2-0.

  Milan made tactical changes, including bringing off Pulisic, and Leao then made it 2-1 with a cool finish when one-on-one with Yann Sommer, but it was a short-lived reprieve. Three more goals followed and the Rossoneri left the pitch with their heads hanging low.

  A dismal performance from Pulisic's side, although one that he is hardly to blame for.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pulisic has impressed since his arrival in Italy, scoring twice in his opening three games. Here, though, he barely even had a chance to test Sommer, as Milan were so overrun by their bitter rivals in the first half.

  The ex-Chelsea winger had a great international break with the USMNT, but it did not transition over as he and his team-mates suffered a thrashing at the hands of their rivals Saturday. Musah, unfortunately, had next to no time to make any sort of impact, given the state of the game at the time of his introduction.

  He could only watch on as Frattesi added a fifth.

• Getty Images
  

  USMNT IMPACT

  One has to think that the USMNT won't be too concerned with this performance. Pulisic didn't put a foot wrong in what proved to be a difficult first half for the side, they were just overpowered by a better team on the day. In total, he had just 32 touches of the ball, and did not complete a dribble, nor did he have a shot on goal. However, with his positive international break performances, there's still optimism left on the table.

  There is a positive, though, as fellow U.S. international in Serie A, Weston Mckennie, had an outstanding day for the Bianconeri where he laid on an assist in their 3-1 victory over Lazio.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  GOAL'S RATINGS

  Christian Pulisic (5/10):

  Was never given enough of a chance to get into the game. Substituted for Chukwueze early in the second half, as Milan attempted to turn the tide.

  Yunus Musah (6/10):

  A late substitute but the score was already 4-1 and there was nothing he could do to change the result.

Many may have been sceptical and not convinced if Liam Cooper would be good enough to play every game for Leeds United in the Premier League, but he was a rock at the back for them and former teammate David Norris has claimed that Marcelo Bielsa must love the defender.

Cooper is Leeds’ captain and not many would argue about it being anyone else with the way that he organises the team, leads by example and carries out instructions perfectly, which is why Bielsa never looked to replace him last summer – instead he wanted another centre back to complement his skipper.

Leeds will be looking to build on next season’s solid top-half finish with some quality additions as they already have a solid base and spine of their squad, and just a few more additions could potentially have them challenging at the right end of the table.

Still just 29-years-old, Cooper has plenty of time to continue developing and be a mainstay in the heart of Leeds’ defence for years to come as it appears unlikely that Bielsa will look to replace the one player he really admires, something Norris spoke exclusively to Football FanCast about:

“I think with Cooper being captain and knowing what Bielsa is like with wanting to trust players, then he obviously must love him.”

Cooper, rated at £6.3m by Transfermarkt, has been with Leeds since 2014 when he was signed from Chesterfield and since then he has never looked back, improving every season and dating his game under every manager he has worked under.

It is not just Cooper who is a leader on the pitch with the likes of Luke Ayling and Kalvin Phillips two other regulars under Bielsa that lead by example, but for the centre back to be the captain speaks volumes of his values and how he is as a person and player.

The 18-year-old is heading to Camp Nou as the Blaugrana prepare to welcome one of world football's top teenage talents.

Every year, a wealth of top teenage Brazilian talents move to Europe, and they come in a similar mould. Usually immensely skillful, quick, and promising, all of them are swiftly boxed into a comparison with a Brazil legend. A lot of them prove to be inaccurate, not least because very few players reach the heights of Neymar, Ronaldinho, or Ronaldo – some of the most common associations.

But the latest one perhaps has a bit more of a likeness to a legend than some of those before him. Indeed, Vitor Roque, fresh off being announced as a new signing at Barca, shares a past freakishly similar to that of Ronaldo, and certainly evokes memories of R9.

Like Ronaldo, Vitor burst onto the scene at Cruzeiro as a teenager and netted his first goal as a 16-year-old. The traits are familiar here, too. Roque is very direct, but can still bust out his own array of Cruyff turns, stepovers and sharp cuts — all while having the core strength to shield the ball.

But he cannot actually Ronaldo, so who is Vitor Roque, and why are Barcelona ecstatic to have beaten some of Europe's best teams to his signature?

• Gustavo Aleixo/Cruzeiro EC
  

  Where it all began

  Vitor experienced a distinctly middle-class upbringing in Timoteo, a town in the southeast of Brazil. His father, a former defensive midfielder at the amateur level, supported Vitor's talent once it became clear that his son possessed ability well beyond that of the rest of his age group.

  And a lot of Vitor's story is rather typical. He was immensely gifted from a young age, and highlighted as a potential talent. He joined an established football academy, Cruzeiro, in his early years, but left for a more-well regarded one, America Mineiro Academy, at the age of 10.

  He was first deployed as a defensive midfielder, playing the same position his father found success in, before later being moved to a more attacking role. And he thrived as a striker, scoring goals for fun throughout youth football.

  But controversy would soon emerge. Vitor was highly-regarded by the age of 14, but decided that Mineiro wasn't the ideal place to support his development. Instead, he moved back to Cruzeiro, penning a youth contract in March 2019. It was a move that angered his former club, who believed that they were entitled to some of the forward's economic rights. The two parties eventually settled their dispute in court, with Mineiro retaining 35 percent of his value.

  And Cruzeiro continued to develop the youngster. He signed a professional contract in May 2021, and scored his first senior goal nine months later. By the start of April 2022, he had scored six goals in 16 first-team appearances.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  The big break

  Perhaps the biggest development in Vitor's career so far, though, has been a step up to a more competitive level. In April 2022, Athletico Paranaense, Brazilian cup finalists and Copa Libertadores regulars, broke their transfer record to sign him for €4.4 million (£3.7m/$4.5m).

  It's a move that has paid dividends for the club. Vitor wasn't immediately thrust into the starting XI, but was immensely effective when on the pitch. He scored seven and assisted three in the 2022 season, including the winner in the Copa Libertadores quarter-final against Argentina's Estudiantes.

  During that time period, he also became a regular for Brazil's youth teams, starring alongside Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos for the Under-20s, where they won the South American championship in February 2023. Indeed, he earned the plaudits of Ronaldo during the same period, with the now-Cruzeiro owner admitting that "he is going to fly so high".

• Getty Images
  

  How it's going

  Soon, the links with top European clubs started to emerge. By August, he was being linked with giants from La Liga and the Premier League, and the R9 comparisons were swiftly applied. But it's a burden that the youngster has dealt with effectively. It has certainly helped that he is being coached by former Brazil boss Luis Felipe Scolari, who has so far avoided heaping praise on his young talent.

  "He will grow a lot. He will be one of the players that Brazil will gain great pleasure from, and we will see if he will continue to develop in the position he plays," the Athletico manager said in July 2022.

  Since then, he's starred for Athletico. Vitor has tallied seven goal involvements in eight Serie A starts so far this season, and earned a senior Brazil call up in March — playing 26 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Morocco.

  Now, he is being rewarded with a move across the Atlantic, with Barcelona the destination after they sealed a €35m (£30m/$38.5m) deal with Athletico.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  Biggest strengths

  Vitor combines two crucial means for success in the modern game: physicality and raw skill. The striker is capable of receiving the ball under pressure and bursting past his marker by pushing the ball to his right and simply outrunning most opponents. He is also an excellent finisher with his right foot and gets himself into the correct positions with smart movement around the box. Although he is under six feet tall, he is also surprisingly good in the air and has shown sparing ability to shoot with his left.

  The Brazilian is also an underrated passer. Although his future certainly lies as a central striker, Vitor is capable of playing on the wing, and is a good crosser, especially when bursting into the box or floating a ball to the far post.

  But it is his pace that stands out at this level. Vitor is rapid, and although he doesn't possess the natural samba instincts of Neymar or Vinicius Jr., has an array of quick moves to get beyond defenders. It's something that will make him deadly immediately.

After the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was given a two-week ban by PSG for his trip to Saudi Arabia, GOAL looks back on other similar situations…

Paris Saint-Germain shocked the footballing world on Tuesday when they announced that World Cup winner Lionel Messi would be suspended for two weeks without pay. It was subsequently revealed that the player had ignored his manager and club, missing training in order to take a trip to Saudi Arabia, who he has a lucrative sponsorship deal with.

PSG, determined to make an example of a player who seems increasingly likely to leave this summer, threw their Ligue 1 title hopes into slight jeopardy and banned one of their biggest names for a crucial two-week stretch.

But Messi isn't the only high-profile player to be sidelined by his own club or national team. Indeed, there is a rich history of stars who have been forced to miss time due to disciplinary reasons.

GOAL takes a look back at some of the biggest stars to have been suspended by their own team…

• Getty Images
  

  Lionel Messi

  Messi jetted off to Saudi Arabia for a few days at the beginning of this week without the permission of PSG, fulfilling responsibilities associated with his lucrative sponsorship deal with the Middle Eastern country.

  Messi reportedly let the club know about the trip in advance, and manager Christophe Galtier agreed to sanction his plans if the Parisians either beat or drew with Lorient on Sunday. However, they suffered an embarrassing 3-1 loss, their third in four home games. Messi, though, went to Riyadh anyway.

  The club has subsequently banned him from entering any of their facilities, preventing him from both training and making official appearances. It is also expected to be the final straw in a drawn-out contract standoff — Messi will not be at Parc des Princes next season.

Advertisement

• AA
  

  Mesut Ozil

  Once one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, Ozil's career declined sharply towards the end of his Arsenal tenure. The Germany international left north London on poor terms, with the club refusing to register him in time for the 2020-21 season.

  He would eventually join Fenerbahce that January, but a series of injuries and poor performances derailed his time there, and Ozil was eventually suspended for the final eight league games of the season after getting into a row with his manager, Ismail Kartal.

  Ozil, for his part, insisted that he had no problem with the club, though pointed out that he hadn't been paid for the first six months of his contract. He left at the end of the season, and retired in March at just 34.

• Getty Images
  

  Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

  Aubameyang has been something of a troublemaker at various points in his career. In January 2018, Borussia Dortmund suspended and fined him for failing to report for a team meeting after training. His decision not to show up, presumably associated with his desire to join Arsenal before the end of the transfer window, saw his time in Germany come to an end.

  His exit from the Gunners around four years later played out in a remarkably similar fashion. Aubameyang visited his mother in France in December 2021, and returned to training a day late. The club swiftly stripped him of the captaincy and dropped him from the squad for their next game against Southampton.

  Manager Mikel Arteta explained that he had decided to leave Aubameyang out due to a "disciplinary breach." It culminated with the star striker training alone and being banned from making any first-team appearances. He left for Barcelona within six weeks.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Mario Balotelli

  Balotelli's career has been a source of constant entertainment, for the right and wrong reasons. The immensely talented Italian has enjoyed his fair share of impressive moments on a football pitch, but will perhaps be best remembered for his antics off it.

  It all started in 2009, when the immensely-gifted but admittedly mercurial Italian clashed with Jose Mourinho while at Inter. The manager publically criticised Balotelli for his lack of effort in training, and dropped him for a whole month in January.

  And things didn't get much better when he secured a high-profile transfer to Manchester City. From visiting a women's prison to setting off fireworks in his bathroom, Balotelli became a media sensation during his time in Manchester. He didn't face an official suspension until early 2012, though, when he was banned for four games for stomping on Scott Parker's head during a Premier League clash with Tottenham.

  He was at it again for AC Milan a year later, banned for using "intimidating and insulting" language towards the referee after his side lost to Napoli. He rounded it off in late 2014 while at Liverpool, being banned by the FA for posting an anti-Semitic picture on his Instagram.

Amid all the talk of Gjanni Alioski being offered a new contract and the potential arrival of a new left-back, Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa might want to consider looking closer to home for someone who could really nail down that role for years to come.

Niall Huggins made his first team debut for the Whites when he came on as a second-half substitute in the 4-2 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League last season, while he has been a consistent performer for the under-23s.

The 20-year-old played 17 times in Premier League 2 Division 2, scoring twice and assisting once, helping the Whites’ youngsters clinch the title and promotion.

After a particularly impressive display earlier in the season for the under-23s, Leeds Live’s Joe Donnuhue waxed lyrical about the starlet, even suggesting that he could be set for some first team football sooner rather than later.

He wrote: “In the second half, Huggins tucked back in to left-back as Leif Davis was withdrawn at the break. His effort levels were a class above, as he is almost every week. If he continues in this vein, he will not be far off more regular first-team squad involvement.”

Kalvin Phillips is also a fan of the 20-year-old, revealing that he could be set for a first team role in the  not too distant future. The England midfielder commented last summer: “We’ve got a few younger lads called Niall Huggins and Alfie McCalmont. They’re really good young players as well. They’ll be in the team in the next year or so, definitely.”

Meanwhile, Huggins himself has said: “To push that step forward at Leeds, you have to be able to run, do everything intense, everything is done as fast as you can. They want you to be at the top of your game, and for them, that means they want you to be on target weight type, body fat is low, to be able to keep that intensity up for the full 90 minutes.

“And if you’re not, then unfortunately, you could end up not playing. It’s that strict.”

Dubbed as someone with “pace to burn”, the Welsh youngster clearly knows what it will take to make his mark in the Premier League with Leeds under Bielsa, and he just needs an opportunity to impress.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-elland-road-rodrigo-de-paul” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

While Alioski might be the talk of the town right now as the club consider giving him a new deal, the left-back slot may be Huggins’ to lose in the years to come.

Meanwhile, Radrizzani must avoid Bielsa’s wrath with this big Leeds decision…

In an interview with GOAL, the striker reveals he never lost hope despite ending up working in a fast-food restaurant after being released by Benfica

Beto always believed he would become a professional footballer.

Even when he was 18 years of age and playing for amateur outfit Uniao Tires in the fifth tier of Portuguese football, while also working in a KFC outlet, he was so convinced he would make it that he was willing to back himself – literally.

"I had a positive mentality," the Udinese striker tells GOAL. "I thought, 'I'm tall, I'm strong, I'm fast – and you can't train these things.' If you're slow, you'll always be slow.

"So, I thought, 'I have these skills – the techniques and the intelligence of the game, these things I can learn and improve.' So, from there, with this self-confidence, I started to develop.

"I even told my team-mates, 'I will become a footballer', and I am proud of this fact. In my opinion, if you don't believe in yourself, nobody else will.

"So, one day, when my team-mates and I were warming up, they were teasing me about this and they said, 'Okay, let's make a bet, then: in five years you will be a professional?'

"I said, 'Okay, fine.'

"And I did it – and after only four years!'"

• Getty
  

  How Beto became Beto'o

  It really has been a remarkable rise to prominence and it's nearly all down to Beto's impressive work ethic and unwavering self-belief.

  The Lisbon native's potential had been obvious from a young age and his family and coaches at Tires told him he was similar in style to Barcelona and Inter icon Samuel Eto'o.

  "They said I had to choose the No.9 jersey because I was so like him, but I didn't know him at first as I didn't watch my football as a kid," he admits.

  "But later I went looking for videos of him and he became my idol. I liked his game, so he was the first player I impersonated!"

  Indeed, he even began spelling his name 'Beto'o' – as a tribute to his hero!

Advertisement

• Benfica release a blessing in disguise

  However, unlike Eto'o, who was discovered by Real Madrid at just 16, Beto was no child prodigy.

  He had been signed by Benfica at 12 but was released after just one season with the club he had supported as a child.

  Such a setback would have devastated many kids but Beto learned a lot from the experience. It made him realise how much he would have to improve to realise his dream.

  "I met so many great coaches, players and people there but, honestly, I saw that I wasn't yet prepared or ready to play football at that level," he explains.

  "I was, of course, a little disappointed when they let me go but then I went back to Tires play with my friends, close to home, so that helped me recover and develop."

  Beto freely admits that being let go by Benfica may have been a blessing in disguise.

  Having to work his way up from the bottom taught him the value of money and is arguably the reason why he remains so grounded.

  He certainly hasn't forgotten where he's come from, given he still has friends working at KFC.

• Getty
  

  Udinese's latest bargain buy

  Besides, it's not as if he was suddenly catapulted into the spotlight after becoming a regular in the Tires first team.

  It was only after he signed for Olimpico Montijo in 2018 that his career really began to take off.

  Beto scored 21 goals in what proved his one and only season with the third-tier outfit, earning himself a move to Primeira Liga side Portimonense.

  Even then, though, Beto had to bid his time. He made just 11 appearances in his first season in the top flight, and failed to find the back of the net once.

  In 2020-21, though, Beto broke out, finishing as Portimonense's top scorer, with 11 goals. There was talk of a summer switch to one of Portugal's 'Big Three' – Benfica, Sporting CP and Porto – but he ended up moving abroad, joining Udinese on loan with an obligation to buy for €7 million ($6m/$7.5m).

  The Friuli are renowned as one of the canniest operators in the transfer market, particularly when it comes to acquiring rough diamonds from outside Italy, but Beto is already looking like one of the best bargain buys in the club's history.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  'Scoring for Udinese like a gift from God'

  Despite seeing his first sensational season cruelly curtailed by an injury, he has now racked up 20 goals in Serie A, with his most recent effort coming in the impressive 3-1 victory over AC Milan just before the international break.

  "I came to Udinese because, right until the end of the [2021 summer transfer] market, they remained determined to sign me," he explains.

  "So, I'm very happy to be here because the club, the team and my teammates are fantastic. I enjoy coming to work here every day.

  "And the club does everything to help me but the fans are also incredible, they like me a lot and I really like them.

  "Playing and scoring for them, it's like a gift from God, because they did everything to get me to come here and I want to repay them."

  His primary objective is to do so in goals, but there's no denying that he's also likely to end up earning them a significant profit on their initial investment in his services.

The Blaugrana want to bring the PSG star back to Catalunya, but there doesn't seem to be a clear plan on where he might fit into the line up

If Lionel Messi does indeed do what a large sector of football fans want him to and returns to Barcelona this summer, the response will likely be immense. Shirts will fly off the shelves, tickets will be snapped up in seconds, and Barca will be tipped to defend the Liga title that they are about to secure.

But then, reality will hit. For all of the benefits of Messi returning, where, exactly, does he fit into this Barca side?

This is a young team that relies on its energy and defensive work rate. The Blaugrana do have attacking talent in the form of Robert Lewandowski and Ousmane Dembele, but they are on the way to a La Liga title win thanks in the most part to their rigid defending and tactical discipline.

🏆 TOP STORY: Arteta gives worrying Saliba injury update

📣 HAVE YOUR SAY: Can Haaland beat Ronaldo's UCL goal record?

🚨 MUST READ: The most boring UCL knockouts ever?!

Messi is the best to ever do it, but he is not a particularly good defender, and forcing him to stick to one singular position would be an immense waste of his talent.

So, Barcelona will have to do what all Messi-led sides have done, and adjust around the Argentine star. The good news is, they have tactical flexibility all over the pitch, and the odds are that the rest of Xavi's side would sacrifice personal interests without question.

But equally, Barca have something good going and a workable system that doesn't seem conducive to Messi's addition. They reportedly want Messi to play in midfield, which would mean adjusting arguably the most efficient part of Xavi's system — tinkering with their key to success.

Regardless of where he plays, there will have to be some changes, and GOAL has taken a look at where Messi might fit at Camp Nou…

• Getty Images
  

  Midfielder in Xavi's modified 4-4-2

  This would be a tricky one. Barcelona's strength this year has been in the harmony between their midfield quartet. Indeed, with Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong operating in a modified double pivot, and Gavi and Pedri playing further forward, Xavi has found a way to get four major talents into his side in a practical way.

  And yet Barca reportedly want Messi to play somewhere in midfield should he return to the club.

  There is no guarantee that Xavi will keep the same system regardless, and he would, in fact, be misguided to do so. However, playing Messi in midfield would mean sacrificing one of the harmonious four.

  Messi would likely play a similar role to that of Pedri, operating in the right half space and functioning as an attacking midfielder. But would Xavi be willing to bench the Spain superstar?

  Still, if the manager is reluctant to change his system, it's where Messi would most comfortably slot in.

Advertisement

• Lluis Gene/AFP
  

  Right wing in a 4-3-3

  Xavi has also relied on a 4-3-3 at various points in the campaign, deploying two relatively traditional wide men who create chances for Lewandowski through the middle.

  It has brought mixed results so far, with Barca becoming overly reliant on right-winger Dembele — who tends to be more dependable than a rotating cast of options on the left.

  Indeed, the predictability of the formation was part of the reason the manager opted to switch his system to a 4-4-2. However, it might be the most obvious plug-and-play fit for the Argentine.

  Messi, although he has gone through many different tactical switches throughout his career, is still at his best when receiving the ball in the right half-space and cutting inside onto his left.

  So, asking him so start on the right of a 4-3-3 does indeed make sense. It would require Dembele to switch to the left, and probably demand Jules Kounde to provide more width from right-back, but getting Messi the ball in his preferred spot is still a key to success.

• Getty
  

  No.10 in a diamond

  And now for the reshuffling.

  Argentina found at the World Cup that playing three defensively-minded midfielders behind him allows Messi to work his magic in the final third, while also alleviating responsibilities off the ball. Barcelona can do much the same here, especially if Busquets stays to occupy the defensive midfield role.

  There are some issues, though — mostly the fact that Messi will naturally sort of wander away from the central position he's supposed to start in. But this is also perhaps the best possible set up for creating chances in the final third.

  Xavi has, after all, flirted with the idea of using Dembele as more of an inside forward than a touchline winger, and his connection with Lewandowski is only getting stronger.

  This wouldn't look anything like a 'traditional' two-striker formation, but having two more recognised advanced forwards in front of the Argentine could work wonders.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty/GOAL
  

  False nine (when Lewandowski is out)

  Barcelona had to adjust to life without Lewandowski at the start of 2023 after the striker picked up a silly suspension. And although Xavi's side never really developed a coherent attack in his absence, the Blaugrana still managed to squeak out wins without their star striker.

  In an ideal world, Barcelona won't have to think about how to compensate without Lewandowski for the next couple of seasons. He will inevitably be one of the first names on the teamsheet, and a crucial piece if Barcelona are to achieve more European success.

  But should such a situation arise where he is not available, then Messi could occupy a more central area and create for Barcelona's goalscoring wingers.

  He can no longer put in the yards like in his false nine glory days under Pep Guardiola's tutelage, but Messi still has a fundamental understanding of the position. Meanwhile, the quality on either wing should give Messi plenty of options to combine with.

  It would be a nightmare for opposing centre-backs, too. Even a less mobile, 35-year-old Messi can still wreak havoc floating between the lines.