It was news Barcelona fans were hoping they’d never hear: after fraught discussions, it was announced that Lionel Messi was officially leaving the Catalan club. Their greatest ever player was forced to leave after the Spanish giants were unable to register his contract.

Messi will now play his football in France for PSG, linking up with former Barca forward Neymar. The pair had a lot of success together at Camp Nou between 2013 and 2017, and they’ll no doubt capitalize upon their old friendship for new successes at PSG.

Barcelona must now move on from Messi in what’s going to be a big season for them on the pitch. It’s now been two years since they last won the title so the pressure will be on head coach Ronald Koeman.

In their first season post-Messi, Barcelona is currently at +200 odds in the football betting markets for the La Liga title. Rivals Real Madrid top the outright market at +125, while defending champions Real Madrid are +260. It’s perhaps revelatory that this is the first time in many years that Barcelona doesn’t start the league campaign as the bookmakers’ favorites. 

Depay and Aguero Can Be New Stars Of The Team

Barcelona fans will be hoping other players will have the capability to step up in Messi’s absence and become heroes at the club. They’ve signed two big names this summer in the form of Memphis Depay and Sergio Aguero, and these players certainly have the ability to fulfill fans’ expectations. 

The Dutch forward, Depay, arrived on a free transfer from Lyon where he has excelled over the last five years. In total, he scored a whopping 22 goals in all competitions for the French club last season, and just a year earlier, he netted six times in eight Champions League matches.

Aguero is a player Barca fans are already more than acquainted with: the 33-year-old is back in Spain following 10 years in England. The former Atletico Madrid striker scored a mighty 260 goals for City and leaves Pep Guardiola’s side with legendary status. At the age of 33, he still has a lot to offer, though when he signed for the club back in June after his contract expired at Manchester City, it was thought he would be partnering with his Argentinian compatriot Messi. However, he will now be expected to deliver the goods without his international teammate.

Messi’s Numbers Are Impossible To Replace

Only Cristiano Ronaldo has come close to matching Messi’s numbers in European football over the last two decades. He scored 672 goals in 778 games for Barcelona, phenomenal numbers the likes of which may never be seen again at any club. In addition, during his time in Barcelona, he won the Ballon d’Or trophy six times as well as the European Golden Shoe trophy on six occasions.

Messi has played under eight different managers, with the most successful period coming under Guardiola. The Spanish boss led the team to two Champions League wins. They also dominated La Liga during that period.

The Argentinian leaves Barcelona with more appearances for the club than anybody else, having broken Xavi’s record of 767 games last season. Unbelievably, Messi has scored more than double the number of goals than any other player in history at the club. It’s a shame to see him leave Barcelona but simultaneously an exciting moment for PSG as they prepare to make their mark with Messi on their side.