Signing Lionel Messi

I'm in my second season at Chelsea and have around £50m stashed away with the specific purpose of signing Messi from Barca.

I had a reasonable first season - 2nd in the Premiership, FA Cup Final appearance and Semi-Final of the Champions League - but the lad doesn't yet show an interest in joining. (This I've based on him not appearing as a "realistic" target on my shortlist).

What are your experiences of signing him?

Does your "stature" as a manager need to improve?

Does he show more interest when you sign some specific players?

Does he tend to want to leave when Barca falter?

I signed him in year 2013 ... when he signed a new contract at barce they put a new relase clause of just £48 million ! ... bargin

I signed him in year 2013 ... when he signed a new contract at barce they put a new relase clause of just £48 million ! ... bargin

Hmmm. 2013 though?!

What club is that with?

The funding isn't necessarily the issue (I can sell to raise more funds after all), it's just his willingness to join.

You'll need to improve a bit tbh. Did Barca win their league or the CL? Either way, their rep is still probably higher than your, as of last season you're only the second best team in England and it's reasonable to assume that the best team would be interested in him, so why settle for second best?

You basically have to become one of the very best teams in the world (serious challengers for premier league and champions league), and it helps telling the media how much you love him, and getting on his favoured personell-list.

You'll need to improve a bit tbh. Did Barca win their league or the CL? Either way, their rep is still probably higher than your, as of last season you're only the second best team in England and it's reasonable to assume that the best team would be interested in him, so why settle for second best?

They were runners-up in both the league and CL, so yes, he wouldn't feel he was progressing I guess. Of course, he may respond to exorbitant wages!!!

you also gotta remember he's a youth product that owes his life to Barca =P

You basically have to become one of the very best teams in the world (serious challengers for premier league and champions league), and it helps telling the media how much you love him, and getting on his favoured personell-list.

Using the media isn't something I've tried yet. I'm usually reluctant to do that as I'm happy with my attack and find this method can unsettle some players.

I may make an exception in this case though...

£50m for Messi is cheap!!!

I signed him in year 2013 ... when he signed a new contract at barce they put a new relase clause of just £48 million ! ... bargin

Same here.

His release clause was £34.5m on my game though.

Same thing happend in FM08 too.

Yeah, you've got to factor reality.

He's a Barca youth product, very loyal, loves his club, and Barca's reputation is significantly greater than Chelsea's.

Man City can afford Messi today, and pay him 4 times more than Barca.... but they've not even tried, and it's obvious why. Even of Abramovic offered the same he'd likely stay at Barca.

You can't sign him for Cheatski - transfer embargo!!!!

I signed him for Arsenal in 2010 for £40 million. I was over the moon with what i thought was an amazing bargains. Turns out he spend more time with Colin Lewin and the physio team than on the training field. Been with the club for two seasons now, and he had no less than 13 different injury breaks last season alone with everything from leg and ankle injurys to hamstring, thigh, groin and ribs injury..

Yeah, you've got to factor reality.

He's a Barca youth product, very loyal, loves his club, and Barca's reputation is significantly greater than Chelsea's.

Man City can afford Messi today, and pay him 4 times more than Barca.... but they've not even tried, and it's obvious why. Even of Abramovic offered the same he'd likely stay at Barca.

Of course.

That being said I've seen a number of people who have said in these forums that they have Messi in their side and was curious of the circumstances of him joining.

In reality, he'd be considered one of very few players who are "untouchable" and it would only be a drastic fall from grace by Barca for him to even consider another team.

I signed him for €150m+ one season.

Best buy ever.

I signed him for Arsenal in 2010 for £40 million. I was over the moon with what i thought was an amazing bargains. Turns out he spend more time with Colin Lewin and the physio team than on the training field. Been with the club for two seasons now, and he had no less than 13 different injury breaks last season alone with everything from leg and ankle injurys to hamstring, thigh, groin and ribs injury..

Interesting.

What had you achieved at Arsenal by 2010?

I signed him for Inter for 106 million and sold him 2 seasons later for 68 million I couldn't get him to work properley in my system so I cut my losses on him

Interesting.

What had you achieved at Arsenal by 2010?

Won the league adn finished runner-up in the champions league and fa cup in 2010, nothing major in 2009.

He think the clues to me succesfully signing him was that i already had his best bud Aguero in my squad, some well recieved media praise and the finances to offer him a £35k wage raise+ a healthy sign on fee.

I've also set my past experience to international footballer (didn't know what this feature meant at the time), so that helps.

Won the league adn finished runner-up in the champions league and fa cup in 2010, nothing major in 2009.

He think the clues to me succesfully signing him was that i already had his best bud Aguero in my squad, some well recieved media praise and the finances to offer him a £35k wage raise+ a healthy sign on fee.

I've also set my past experience to international footballer (didn't know what this feature meant at the time), so that helps.

Excellent. I need to check on his favourite people and see if they can be brought in and then start on praise in the media every-so-often.

I can't check at the moment, but I seem to recall that my past experience is set to "automatic" - no idea what this is!!!

I managed to sign him in my 3rd season with Liverpool after winning the league the year before. For around £60m, thought he would be brilliant alongside Aguero. Turned out they were both Poo!

Went back to using Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt!!!

On FM08 I managed Real Madrid for a few seasons and I was chasing Messi all the time. Eventually I had bids accepted, but he never came. The closest I got was when his manager upset him and he was considering other options. I very almost signed him.

I bought him for £35.5m with Liverpool last night. It's pre-season before the start of my 3rd season and I've won 2 back to back domestic trebles in my first 2 seasons, with relatively poor performances in Europe (knocked out in the last 16 twice). Not sure what kind of season Barca had but when I saw that he was still on the list when I filtered out unrealistic targets, and I saw that his release fee was just £35.5m I though I'd snap him up with some of the £80m budget I'd been given because I don't really need to buy anyone. He took a £35k/week paycut to join me aswell and Fernando Torres seems to be fond of him and has been talking him up. That's my personal experience of signing him anyway.

I think what other people have said here is true, that he is very loyal to Barca and will only leave for your team after you've enjoyed a good deal of success. Your season was pretty decent but you didn't win any trophies so you're unlikely to peak his interest just yet. Give it a season or 2 of glory and success and I'm sure he'll be more than interested in your team, as will most of the world's star players.

I bought Messi in my Spurs game for about 40 million. He was about 26 at the time.

He wasn't even that good. He never even cemented a place in the first team, and I sold him just a couple years later.

I'm in my second season at Chelsea and have around £50m stashed away with the specific purpose of signing Messi from Barca.

I had a reasonable first season - 2nd in the Premiership, FA Cup Final appearance and Semi-Final of the Champions League - but the lad doesn't yet show an interest in joining. (This I've based on him not appearing as a "realistic" target on my shortlist).

What are your experiences of signing him?

Does your "stature" as a manager need to improve?

Does he show more interest when you sign some specific players?

Does he tend to want to leave when Barca falter?

Don't base anything on that list. It's certainly possible to sign players that your assistant think are unrealistic.

My missus signed him in the second season on her Arsenal save, she won the Prem in the first season got to semi's of the champions league and won the FA Cup. He had a release clause of £45.5 million he wanted 120k a week and he signed, it was easy.

I find Messi one of the easier world stars to sign, I would love to sign Iniesta but I never can.

Just signed Messi for £35.5m for my Newcastle team. 3 seasons in and only won two F.A Cups. I do have Aguero so maybe that's an influencing factor?

Tycoon takeover from Holland btw, no cheats

Don't base anything on that list. It's certainly possible to sign players that your assistant think are unrealistic.

^^^ As he said... with a high contract offer, usually players with 'No intention' will still sign.. half my team came that way

I thought Messi's release clause was £136m it's about that on my Barca save. Aguero can be bought for £43m on his starting contract relase clause. You might be able to knock it down though.

you also gotta remember he's a youth product that owes his life to Barca =P

Errr actually he's a product of Newell's youth system.

Errr actually he's a product of Newell's youth system.

He joined Barca when he was something like 12. Barcelona developed him so it's their product.

He joined Barca when he was something like 12. Barcelona developed him so it's their product.

What this man said.

Messi was bagged by Barca when he was just 13. He left Newell's Old Boys's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Barcelona as the club had had offered to pay for the expensive treatment for his growth hormone deficiency.

Errr actually he's a product of Newell's youth system.

tbh i don't think he was there long enough to learn anything of real value.

I signed him in year 2013 ... when he signed a new contract at barce they put a new relase clause of just £48 million ! ... bargin

if you had bought him for even more and insured him with aviva it would have been even more of a bargain

tbh i don't think he was there long enough to learn anything of real value.

3 years isn't enough to learn something ?

Don't base anything on that list. It's certainly possible to sign players that your assistant think are unrealistic.

I suppose it would depend on what the assistant feels is "unrealistic" then. I guess the game pulls through that the club and/or manager don't meet his criteria (stature, future, location, etc) and would anticipate the player not to be interested.

So, are you saying that he may join with an incredible financial offer?

UPDATE

Right. Messi has several "favourite" people, most of whom aren't in a position to join (Aguero, Barca's physio, Pep Guardiola, etc), but there was Getafe's keeper Oscar Ustari who had a reasonable £4.8m release clause and fortunately accepted a back-up role at the club.

Following that I said in the press that I'm in awe of his ability, but he responded by saying he'd rather hear that from his own manager. Grrrrr.

As for his going rate, he currently has a £46.5m release clause...

Signed him for £38m in January 2011 for AC Milan. He said he wasn't interested in joining at the contract offer screen, but I offered him something like £130k per week plus £7m signing on fee and he accepted that.

Signed him for £38m in January 2011 for AC Milan. He said he wasn't interested in joining at the contract offer screen, but I offered him something like £130k per week plus £7m signing on fee and he accepted that.

Ooooh. He'll obviously be a key player, so will be trying this.

Let's hope after all this that he doesn't turn out to be a dud.

Ooooh. He'll obviously be a key player, so will be trying this.

Let's hope after all this that he doesn't turn out to be a dud.

Leading assist maker (ahead of Kaka and Ronaldo) in my team in his first full season

i paid 34.5m for my Aston Villa side. I had won the league 5 times in a row, countless minor cups and 3 final CL apperances. Yet he still wasnt interested in joing untill i offered around 200k a week then he joined. But i offered him new contract after he was getting interest from other clubs (Barca haha) and he only wanted 54k a week!!

UPDATE

Signed!

Paid the release fee of £46.5m with Messi actually giving his demands - as a key player of course. I was expecting him to say he wasn't interest at all myself.

Took £150k per week with a signing-on fee of £7.25m together with an appearence fee of £15k per week.

It may have screwed up my finances, but it's Messi for-crying-out-loud!!

Why pay signing on fees? No need!

Why pay signing on fees? No need!

I did consider offering half the signing-on fee he was requesting, but then faced with the prospect of him rejecting and then not considering signing again I, frankly, gave in.

In your experience, do players tend to accept no signing-on fee?

I managed to sign him in my 3rd season with Liverpool after winning the league the year before. For around £60m, thought he would be brilliant alongside Aguero. Turned out they were both Poo!

Went back to using Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt!!!

I also bought him for Liverpool to play alongside Aguero, Gerrard and Torres (but at the start of the 2nd season) and I paid £43.5m. After a slightly disappointing first season, he settled in his second season, and has been brilliant. Yes, he picks up a few more injuries than the other players, but they've mostly been little knocks that have only kept him out for one or two games at a time.

(Babel and Kuyt I sold for roughly £35m combined.)

3 years isn't enough to learn something ?

wow, sorry i didn't know it was that long.

I did consider offering half the signing-on fee he was requesting, but then faced with the prospect of him rejecting and then not considering signing again I, frankly, gave in.

In your experience, do players tend to accept no signing-on fee?

No, ive never offered signing on fees to anyone, even though the player has requested one. They have all accepted my contract offers without it.

I find that he never wanted to come to me but I offered him as much as possible in wages, goal bonus etc etc and he agreed. Messi at Burnley eh? It was for £107 million though and I was the best team on the game

I had to win the league 4 times with Man City, then offer him full wages signing on fee etc

Why pay signing on fees? No need!

Yes there is. For most players there isn't, but for someone like Messi, or someone who is also receiving an offer from an AI club, the signing on fee can sway it.

Yes there is. For most players there isn't, but for someone like Messi, or someone who is also receiving an offer from an AI club, the signing on fee can sway it.

I am not sure it does mean much or anything at all. I signed Steven Gerrard for Arsenal from Liverpool and offered no signing on fee. I also bought Modric from Spurs for Villarreal, at the time I offered no signing on fee and he was considering contracts from my team, Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan yet he signed for me over them three despite me having won nothing at all.