Real Madrid and Arsenal tried to "steal" Leo Messi from FC Barcelona

Published:10/09/2024 - 15:20h

Updated:20/09/2024 - 13:45h

Can you imagine a universe in which Leo Messi would not have been a FC Barcelona player? That was possible in the past, as two elite clubs in Europe like Real Madrid showed interest in him. However, the Argentine chose to prioritize his desire to succeed as a culé

Speaking of Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini is undoubtedly talking about a magnificent part of the history of FC Barcelona. Although the Argentine star did not have a farewell worthy of a figure of his magnitude, as the Barça fans would have desired, it is clear that his indelible mark as a culé is unforgettable. He is nothing more and nothing less than the player with the most matches played (778), goals scored (672), and assists made (303) for the Barcelona team, leaving a series of unforgettable moments etched in the memories of the culé fans.

However, on this occasion, the topic that arises goes beyond the achievements of the Rosario native with the colors of Barça, but rather relates to the beginning of his adventure as a player of Barcelona. In an interview with the 'Koora' media, Horacio Gaggioli, who was once the representative of the current '10' of Inter Miami, gave an interesting testimony about what could have been the possible transfer of a young Leo Messi to other teams that were seeking his services.

Real Madrid was interested in signing a young Leo Messi

Gaggioli did not hesitate to make a startling revelation about one of the clubs that showed interest in signing 'La Pulga'. At this point, it was revealed that none other than his favorite 'victim,' Real Madrid, the team he faced on more occasions (47) and one of those who scored the most goals against him (26), expressed interest in hiring the Argentine 'gem' and snatching him away from the blue and red team.

Fortunately, despite the interest of the Madrid team, Leo Messi always had clear his desire to grow and make history as a culé. "Real Madrid was interested in him when he was young, he was 16 or 17 years old, but Leo never wanted to leave Barcelona," said Gaggioli.

Arsenal also tried to take the Argentine star away from Barça

Finally, the former agent of the Argentine also revealed that another club was in the running to sign Leo Messi, but their attempts also proved unsuccessful and for the same reason. "Arsenal showed interest in signing Messi at the beginning of his career, but he did not want to leave Barça," he concluded. Definitely, a love story that later bore fruit, as the Rosario native became an indisputable icon in the culé history.