Barcelona may have already identified Lionel Messi’s replacement

Sadio Mane has reportedly been offered to Barcelona amidst speculation of Leo Messi leaving the club.

Barcelona’s humiliating defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals seems to have been the last straw for the Argentine genius, who has grown disillusioned at the Camp Nou.

The LaLiga runners-up were thrashed 8-2 in Lisbon by the eventual treble-winners, as Barca’s slow and ageing squad were caught out by Bayern’s high-intensity game.

With rumors swirling that Messi has submitted a transfer request to the club’s hierarchy, several clubs in Europe have been linked with a move for the 33-year-old, with Man City leading the race.

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It appears Messi would be in favor of lining up with his former boss Pep Guardiola at the Etihad. The club’s extensive links with Barcelona (including current director of football Txiki Begiristain) could play a huge role in making the unthinkable happen.

The Catalan giants have clearly not given up hope of holding on to Messi yet, but new manager Ronald Koeman will surely be preparing for every eventuality.

And now according to reports from Italy, Barcelona have been offered the chance to sign Liverpool forward Sadio Mane as a potential replacement.

The Senegalese international’s entourage has reached out to the club over a possible deal, with Barcelona also set to be without Luis Suarez next season.

Mane has worked under Koeman previously at Southampton for two seasons, where he caught the eye of Liverpool with some brilliant performances in the Premier League.

The 28-year-old has since helped the Reds win the Champions League, and scored 22 goals in a historic season as they clinched the league title for the first time in 30 years.

Mane will certainly not come cheap. His current contract runs till the summer of 2023, and it is believed that Barcelona would have to cough up a fee in the range of €85 million to sign him.

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool themselves would be willing to consider a transfer. Given that Mane leaving the club would probably open the door for Messi to join title rivals Man City, it does look unlikely at the moment.

But stranger things have happened in football, so watch this space.