Could Lionel Messi be on his way out of Barcelona?

Lionel Messi and Barcelona have drifted apart in the past couple of months, could the Argentinian finally be on the brink of a move away?

At the Nou Camp as Michael Oliver blew his whistle to signal the end of a thoroughly disappointing performance for Barcelona on Tuesday night, Lionel Messi looked like a dejected figure on the turf of the legendary stadium.

With his hands on his hips, Messi looked up to the heavens and sighed. The dreadful goalless draw against relative Champions League minnows in Slavia Prague had come just days after Levante had swept Barcelona off their feet with a 3-1 victory against the Catalans.

In both ties, Messi was a lonely figure in the under-firing Barcelona team. The Argentinian ran relentlessly and worked up and down the pitch to conjure up chances for his team-mates but his efforts were to no avail.

Barcelona are currently a disjointed unit and at times nothing seems to be working for the Catalans. They look like a shadow of their former great sides from the beginning of the decade. Even Messi himself is struggling with finding the right form and after countless dismay in the Champions League during the past couple of seasons against Liverpool and Roma, it seems Messi may have to look elsewhere for his desire to lift the long coveted trophy once more and in order to get the best out of himself.

Under Ernesto Valverde the Catalans’ chances seem bleak right now and even securing the La Liga title is uncertain.

Last year, Ronaldo challenged Messi to leave the Nou Camp and prove himself in another one of Europe’s top leagues when speaking to laGazettadello Sport. And the Argentinian is perhaps now considering his options with Barcelona’s failure to deliver a team which is befitting of Messi’s talent.

Earlier this week Graham Hunter writing for ESPN also spoke about how Barcelona and Messi are at a ‘crossroads’ and how Lionel Messi could leave the Catalans in the summer as from January 1 ‘Messi contract allows him to negotiate with rival football clubs.’ This could open up the door for some potential suitors to approach the Argentinian and try to lure him away from Catalans.

With Messi no longer able to get the best out of himself at the Nou Camp perhaps it is time for the Argentinian to depart the club and perhaps he would consider possible approaches.

There won’t be many teams who could afford him but his arch rival Ronaldo may be right in Messi needing to challenge himself in a different environment. All relationships must come to an end and it could finally be time for Messi to call it quits with the Catalans and to look for more fruitful opportunities and a team who could fulfil his needs.

However gloomy that prospect may seem, it would certainly be exciting to watch Messi play in a different league and for a different side. It may even help propel the Argentinian to another level in his footballing greatness.

What do you think should Messi leave Barcelona?