How 13-Year-Old Lionel Messi Swerved Real Madrid To Sign for Barcelona

• Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi could have joined Real Madrid as a teenager in 2001, according to journalist Guillem Balagué
• Messi was on the verge of signing for Barcelona but the club's sporting director, Javier Pérez Farguell, opposed the move as he deemed the Argentine's deal expensive
• Real Madrid were willing to pay more than Barcelona, but later pulled off because they were not willing to go to war with Barcelona

Renowned sports journalist Guillem Balagué has disclosed how Real Madrid could have signed Lionel Messi back in 2001.

Messi joined the Barcelona's La Masia as a 13-year-old kid after his family agreed to let him join the Camp Nou club.

According to Balague, Barcelona agreed to pay Messi a salary of one hundred million peseras per season, but then Blaugrana's sporting director, Javier Perez Farguell opposed the move.

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Farguell, who was was stunned to see Messi’s contract, deemed it excessive and presented a lower offer.

“Who does he think he is? Maradona? Let’s stop this and let him go back to Argentina”, he said, according to Balagué.

This prompted Jorge Valdano, who at the time was Real Madrid’s sporting director, to pounce on Messi's signature because the Los Blancos were willing to pay more. But Valdano later pulled the plug on the move in order to avoid going to war with Barcelona.

Messi went on to join Barcelona and the rest is history.

Lionel Messi will feature for PSG when they face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League knock out stage on Tuesday evening.

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Messi was the last player to score in the finals of both the Champions League and subsequent Club World Cup in 2011.

At the time, the Argentine scored in Barcelona's Champions League final triumph over Man United in a match that Pedro and David Villa also found the back of the net.

Pochettino makes statement on Messi

Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino who is the gaffer of French giants Paris Saint-Germain has explained that he has never doubted the ability of Lionel Messi claiming that the forward is the best in the world.

This comes after the former Barcelona captain scored and created an assist during Paris Saint-Germain perfect 5-1 win over Lille in League game on Sunday, February 6.

Since joining Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona on a free transfer, Lionel Messi has not been impressive in the League even though he has been shinning in the Champions League.