There’s only one name on everyone’s mind this Monday morning, and that’s Lionel Messi.
The Argentine fulfilled his destiny at the weekend as he won the World Cup for Argentina, crowning himself, in many people’s eyes, as the greatest footballer of all-time.
Inevitably, every single Premier League manager is going to be asked about Messi ahead of the return to domestic football, and Eddie Howe was asked by Sky Sports if he would consider signing Messi if he became available in January.
Howe laughs off Messi question
Howe was asked about signing Messi, but he laughed off any speculation.
“Keith come on, you’re starting that up? But no he is a world class talent and you can see that age hasn’t diminished his attributes. He’s never relied purely on pace, he has the touch and the skills. The second goal for me was a thing of beauty, I loved watching that goal and he was integral to that,” Howe said.
1 percent chance
Howe may be laughing off the idea of signing Messi, but deep down in the back of his mind he must know that there’s the smallest of chances that this move happens.
Think about it, Messi has won the World Cup now, what point does he have left to prove in football? Well, the one thing that his doubters still hold against him is that he’s never done it in the Premier League.
Newcastle are the richest club in the world and Messi does now have some links to Saudi Arabia after agreeing to be an ambassador for the country’s tourism board, so perhaps PIF could negotiate something here.
Obviously it’s hugely unlikely, but in a game where you can never say never, this isn’t the most outlandish rumour we’ve ever heard.
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