From 1995- 2000 Lionel Messi wore the kit of Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina, at the youth level, the very small future World Cup winner showed his skill in the Rosario club’s youth ranks. Messi scored almost 500 goals on the team called “The Machine of ’87”.
Then in 2000 Messi’s father was looking for alternatives to treat his son who had a growth hormone deficiency, and it was Barcelona who would eventually take a gamble on the Argentine, the rest is history.
Since then, the world knows the story, Messi could go on to become the best football player of all time and with Argentina has scored 102 goals on his way to winning three major titles with his country. Now Newell’s Old Boys is daring to dream of a possible homecoming for Lionel Messi.
Chances of Lionel Messi going to Newell’s Old Boys
According to Pablo Allegri, Newell’s Old Boys vice president, the club is ready to go all out for their biggest export. “We are going to go for Messi, (Newell’s supporters) need to honor him here”, Allegri stated to La Red Rosario.
“Alejandro Domínguez (President of Conmebol) said that Lionel needed to win the Copa Libertadores. After that I approached the President of Conmebol and he told us that we have to work together for the dream of Messi playing in the cup. We will put everything we have to put in”.
“From the desire that we have, it is 100% the desire for Messi to come to Newell’s. It is everyone’s dream. What it also has is that many Argentine fans want to have him here and also the fans of America. Newell’s would be the team most watched on the continent. Time will tell if he comes or not. We wait for him whenever he wants.”
Messi is slated to have an offer to stay at PSG and a mega offer is expected by Major League Soccer. Newell’s could arrange a deal similar to the one Luis Suárez got at Nacional in Uruguay upon his return and the one David Beckham received when joining MLS which was percentages on jersey sales, tickets sold, and even parking.