How Messi Nearly Joined Chelsea Under Mourinho

Lionel Mess at one point in his career wanted to leave Barcelona to join Premer League giants Chelsea in 2004.

Lionel Messi to CHELSEA?! 😳

It so nearly happened 😱 pic.twitter.com/ti68hukRP5

— GOAL (@goal) October 7, 2020

The Barcelona recently changed his mind about leaving the Camp Nou this summer and decided to see out the remainder of his contract.

But according to transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, Messi was close to moving to England when the Stamford Bridge club came calling.

Read Also: What Barcelona Coach Told Messi After First Training

Jose Mourinho who was manager of the club at that time had a long phone conversation with the then 16-year-old in a bid to lure him to west London.

However, things did not work out for the Portuguese boss as Messi went on to establish himself as one of the greatest in the game, winning many trophies at Barca.

And Mourinho has never hidden his admiration for the Argentine forward and said in 2015: Mourinho has waxed lyrical about Messi in the past, saying in 2015: “One thing is a team. Another thing is a team with Messi.

It is a different story. He [reached] a Champions League final with [Frank] Rijkaard. He played a Champions League with [Pep] Guardiola. He is playing a Champions League final with Luis Enrique.

“When people analyse teams, you have to remember that this boy makes everything different. He makes everything different. “I think this guy makes the gap by himself. You have doubts that [Manchester] City with Messi can win the Champions League?

Read Also: Mourinho Reveals His Worst Moments As A Coach

Or Arsenal with Messi can win the Champions League? Or Chelsea with Messi can win the Champions League? Or Man United with Messi can win the Champions League? Don’t you think? I think.

“I am saying that a team with that boy is a different team, is a different story.”