If you get Messi, you go from plucky underdogs to title expectations overnight. That means getting an experienced striker and more veterans in the squad because Messi won't be putting up with the inconsistency of Rashford or Wan bissaka and Williams etc.
Sancho or Messi? Who would you try to sign?
- Thread starter BenitoSTARR
- Start date
If you get Messi, you go from plucky underdogs to title expectations overnight. That means getting an experienced striker and more veterans in the squad because Messi won't be putting up with the inconsistency of Rashford or Wan bissaka and Williams etc.
Shirt sales, image rights... Woodward and Glazers’ dream
Martial, Rashford have shown they can produce 20 goal seasons so its a good base to which Messi would be adding. Ya I agree that Messi would probably expect United to invest more in the midfield/full back positions but it can be players who can be at the club for many years. To get to winning ways is the best way to ensure our young team doesn't go the Arsenal way but goes the United way.
Well not that Messi IS coming to United so its obviously rather theoretical.
It'll be insanity to pass on 20yr old Sancho to sign 33yr old Messi on close to 1m per week wages. And no, Messi won't accept anything less than a 3yr contract.
All this is mute though, Messi is soul bounded to Barcelona.
All this is mute though, Messi is soul bounded to Barcelona.
As super hypothetical as this is, the long-term footballing decision is quite easily Sancho. Personally though, I'd rather see Messi at OT for a few years. I'm a romantic...
Sancho, need to keep this project on track.
We already have the English version of him. Messi Wingard.
As if Messi would accept a contract for "2 or 3 years". Don't be deluded. He will want 5 minimum, on, I don't know, 800k per week, maybe a considerable signing on Bonus as well. Messi is not exactly known for his humility, as far as I know.
I guess we could get Sancho, including wages, for around the money we would have to throw into Messi over the years. The only difference is, one is 19 and on the up, the other 33 and will decline sooner rather than later. I know which I would prefer.
I guess we could get Sancho, including wages, for around the money we would have to throw into Messi over the years. The only difference is, one is 19 and on the up, the other 33 and will decline sooner rather than later. I know which I would prefer.
Meeeessi, Meeeessi, Meeeeessi. But I am ok with Jadon 
The only player I’d rather buy than Sancho is Mbappe.
Messi.
Mbappe then Sancho then Messi
Messi. Because there will be another new young top talent again every few years that we could sign.
There won’t be another chance in our lifetime to see someone of the quality of Messi in our team.
There won’t be another chance in our lifetime to see someone of the quality of Messi in our team.
sancho everyday
Messi, come on.
Last edited:
Messi of course. The greatest player ever, would make us competitive for any title instantly, what else is there to being a football fan than watching that? You're scared of how high his wages would be? Why would that matter one bit?
Regardless of whether we can pay Messi's wages or not, I don't think we can get the best out of Messi in Ole's current system. Messi is more suited for possession-based football like Mancity than our counter-attacking style of football. So I'd go for Sancho.
Messi of course.
He's free if his contract is possibly terminated. Even with so called crazy wage (still have to pay wage for Sancho after any transfer fee), it would even out. Messi is as guaranteed performer as you can get.
He's free if his contract is possibly terminated. Even with so called crazy wage (still have to pay wage for Sancho after any transfer fee), it would even out. Messi is as guaranteed performer as you can get.
I remember when everyone wanted us to sign Schweinsteiger for no reason other than post after post of 'Bastian fecking Schweinsteiger '.
Funny how that turned out.
Best player in the history of football or not it just doesn't fit with what we're trying to achieve long-term. I'd be saying the same if we were trying to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo.
From a marketing perspective you can't deny it would be Woody's wet dream though.
'.Funny how that turned out.
Best player in the history of football or not it just doesn't fit with what we're trying to achieve long-term. I'd be saying the same if we were trying to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo.
From a marketing perspective you can't deny it would be Woody's wet dream though.
Messi.
I'll take 1-2 years (or however many we'd get) of a 10/10 player over any amount of years of a 9/10 player.
I'll take 1-2 years (or however many we'd get) of a 10/10 player over any amount of years of a 9/10 player.
Not even comparable.I remember when everyone wanted to signs Schweinsteiger for no reason other than post after post of 'Bastian fecking Schweinsteiger
Funny how that turned out.
Best player in the history of football or not it just doesn't fit with what we're trying to achieve long-term. I'd be saying the same if we were trying to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo.
From a marketing perspective you can't deny it would be Woody's wet dream though.
First of all, if thing is not more complicated than it sounds, Messi is opening the door to go out, not that Barcelona trying to sell him for ABC reason. Bayern knew Bastian condition, so actively put him on the market. Barcelona would wish to keep him for another year paying him crazy wage even if Messi would still eventually leave for free.
Bastian during his peak, was among the best, while Messi was an alien. Even now, he's still among the best. Giving him a good set up, and he's still one of the very few that can guarantee the very best of world class performance. Something which Sancho is more riskier.
In normal circumstances, you would have to fork out 100+ mil or more for Messi signature like when Juventus signed Ronaldo from Madrid, on top of his wage. Bastian wage was not cheap for his time either.
Beside someone like Messi would help any teams he joins in immediate future and down the road, in term of transfer. Players would love a chance to play along side him. Clubs benefit from younger generation pay more attention to him.
Last edited:
An even more recent and obvious example was Sanchez.I remember when everyone wanted us to sign Schweinsteiger for no reason other than post after post of 'Bastian fecking Schweinsteiger
Funny how that turned out.
Best player in the history of football or not it just doesn't fit with what we're trying to achieve long-term. I'd be saying the same if we were trying to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo.
From a marketing perspective you can't deny it would be Woody's wet dream though.
But on the other hand people had been saying they would pass on ronaldo when he got into his thirties and the usual transfer rumors came around during summers. Turned out he had three or four big years in him yet.
The GOAT over anyone. Sancho included.
Sancho no question!
We are getting neither 
As a Bayern fan, and for my team: No f... way! Messi cost you about 50M Euro per year. For what? Two years? Have you seen him against Bayern? I didn't, because he didn't take place.
Now that Bayern has got Sane, I'm not so much after Sancho anymore. But Sancho is a class above Coman. Thanks god (I mean Arsenal), we have Gnabry already, and I don't have to worry too much about our wingers.
Easy decision. Jadon Sancho.
Seeing messi in a united shirt would be insane.. however sancho is 20, so him!
Your team just won the CL so you're on your high horse. Enjoy for the time being.
Football doesn't work like that. When better Barcelona and Madrid stuffed Bayern under Luiz Enrique, half of this Bayern starter were there and looked useless. Doesn't make those players terrible. Someone like Lewandolski had no so great CL knockout record until this season too.
Ronaldo
Messi is arguably the best player any of us will ever witness in our lifetimes, a legend that transcends the sport. Forget his unbelievable career, last season he scored 31 goals and got 26 assists. Everyone's entitled to their opinion and saying you prefer Sancho is fine but people comparing Messi to us signing Schweinsteiger and Falcao have lost the plot. If we sign Messi we become title contenders overnight and have a serious shot at challenging for the Champions League, he's that good. It would be one of the most significant transfers of all time - a two/three year spell with a few additional signings and Messi pulling the strings behind some of the attackers we already have and we could have one of our best spells in recent history.
Messi for short term fix, Sancho for future.
Messi has been the most consistent top player in the football world for past 15 years. Any club who sign him will have at least good 2-3 years service from him.
Messi. We can sign Sancho later if need be but come on, it’s Messi!
June 2021
Messi: I dream of Barcelona.
Messi: I dream of Barcelona.
Can he do it on a cold rainy night in
The phrase originates from a pre-match TV show/discussion before a Manchester City vs Everton match. The two gentlemen involved in the discussions were Richard Keys and Andy Gray.
Richard Keys asked Andy Gray about 2010 Ballon d’Or nominees Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. While Andy was all praise for the Argentine superstar Messi, he also added that although Messi scores at will in LaLiga in Spain, he would struggle to score against teams in EPL. He believed that even teams outside top flight in EPL are tough to play against. One of the difficult matches the top English teams face is away game vs Stoke at the Britannia Stadium. Led by their captain and defender Ryan Shawcross, Stoke are known for putting in strong tackles. Their physical presence in midfield and at the back makes scoring against Stoke an extremely difficult task.
Andy Gray in that show says that Lionel Messi will struggle to score against a Stoke City at their home in Britannia Stadium on a 'cold winter night' (metaphor used to represent grim conditions specially for a striker) as he feels Messi is perhaps not that good enough.
Since then this phrase has been used widely to represent difficulty of EPL and sometimes even just to emphasize the difficult conditions for a travelling team.
Richard Keys asked Andy Gray about 2010 Ballon d’Or nominees Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. While Andy was all praise for the Argentine superstar Messi, he also added that although Messi scores at will in LaLiga in Spain, he would struggle to score against teams in EPL. He believed that even teams outside top flight in EPL are tough to play against. One of the difficult matches the top English teams face is away game vs Stoke at the Britannia Stadium. Led by their captain and defender Ryan Shawcross, Stoke are known for putting in strong tackles. Their physical presence in midfield and at the back makes scoring against Stoke an extremely difficult task.
Andy Gray in that show says that Lionel Messi will struggle to score against a Stoke City at their home in Britannia Stadium on a 'cold winter night' (metaphor used to represent grim conditions specially for a striker) as he feels Messi is perhaps not that good enough.
Since then this phrase has been used widely to represent difficulty of EPL and sometimes even just to emphasize the difficult conditions for a travelling team.
Offer the 120 million to Messi in terms of sign on bonus+wages if there's no transfer fee.
The only option. Sancho wouldn't be needed.
The only option. Sancho wouldn't be needed.
Erm Messi dude, and it's not even close.
Sorry, but the last thing I would ever do is bragging. I was trying to answer to a a difficult question, Sancho or Messi, that's all. But let's be honest, THE question United has to answer soon is: How much do you want to spend? And for what kind of of player? And should he be a world beater or an up-and-cumming superstar? I wish you well with this decision. Because I don<'t have the answer.