Just the prospect of having Lionel Messi in your team would be a dream not just for managers, but for fans as well given the way the Argentinian magician has performed for Barcelona over the years.
Yet according to reports all is not well at the Nou camp between Messi and the clubs bosses with the 27-year-old possibly up for a move to pastures new this coming summer, and while only a few clubs in the world could actually afford him we look to see if Chelsea could be a possibility.
The main stumbling block for any big club with the financial firepower of Chelsea is the UEFA Fair Play regulations which prohibit clubs from spending more than they make.
In Chelsea’s case however some shrewd transfer deals by manager Jose Mourinho and a bumper new sponsorship deal with Japanese tire manufacturer Yokohama Rubber makes the acquisition of Messi a viable proposition.
If you now take the clubs cash reserves into account plus the need to no longer pay Fernando Torres’s massive £175,000 per-week salary the signing of a player like Messi becomes a possibility for the west London club.
Given the way clubs tier their transfer payments Chelsea would have no trouble meeting Barcelona’s £180 million buyout clause and also be able to meet the stars £16.5 million per-year wages based on a five-year contract which would cost the Blues £52.3 million a year which is well within their means.
Given Chelsea’s new found freedom a deal for Messi is certainly not unthinkable, and with so much cash lying around should they decide not to pursue the man from Rosario the opportunities for the team appear endless.
The question now remains should Chelsea pursue Messi or look for opportunities to improve the team in other ways.