BEVERLY HILLS, August 31, (THEWILL) – President Alberto Fernandez has advised Lionel Messi to return to his homeland and finish his career at his former youth team club Newell’s Old Boys.
Messi, 33, had last week informed Barcelona of his intentions to move on this summer following a turbulent season at the Nou Camp. He has been most strongly linked with a move to Manchester City, where he would link up with his previous manager Pep Guardiola again.
Sources disclosed that Manchester City will offer Lionel Messi a £450m five-year deal to quit Barcelona. Messi failed to show up for preseason tests on Sunday, after notifying the club via fax earlier in the week of his desire to leave.
But some believe he could be tempted with going back to Newell’s, who he represented at youth level between 1994-2000 before making the move to Spain at the age of just 13.
Speaking on Argentinean TV channel C5N, Fernandez said: “You are in our hearts and we have never seen you play in our country. Give us the pleasure of ending your career with Newell’s Old Boys, your club.”
And on whom he admires between Diego Maradona and Messi Fernandez admitted he admired the 1986 World Cup winner. He stated that his preference for the Napoli icon is due to the fact he graduated from the team he supports, Argentinos Junior.
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“The great merit of Maradona is that he played alone against the world,” Fernandez added. “I’ve never seen a player like Maradona. I admire him deeply more than Messi, to be honest, because he comes from the Argentinos’ youth. He was a kind of gladiator, with incredible strength.”
Newell’s fans held a spectacular parade on the streets of Rosario on Thursday in the hope of showing Messi how much it would mean for them for him to move to the club.
