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The former Blaugrana star hailed the impact of Argentina’s mercurial at Camp Nou and reflected on the club’s recent fights.
Lionel Messi will decide what his future holds, not Barcelona, says Edmilson, with an all-time great seen as having earned the right to dictate where he plays his football in 2021-2022.
The mercurial Argentine has spent his entire club career to date at Camp Nou, with a record breaking spell in Catalonia lifting him to the top of the world game.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner, however, has questioned the direction Barca are heading in and off the pitch.
Pressure for exits has been stalled over the summer, but the 33-year-old’s contract continues to run out and he will be free to speak with interested parties from January as he heads to the free will.
Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are said to be leading a recruiting queue, while Barcelona have not given up on hopes of tying their talismanic presence to new terms.
Whatever happens from this point on, Edmilson expects Messi to lead the talks, with the former Blaugrana star telling Mark: “Messi is a person who has given a lot to the club, he is the best player I have seen there in recent years, in terms of longevity.
“You could say Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, but the consistency of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi for 10 years, scoring 70 or 90 goals, is impressive. I don’t think there is a player as complete as Messi and Cristiano.
“I think Messi is at a point where he can decide to leave or stay, but that should be decided by him, not by the club.
“He’s a person who, in addition to playing, wants to enjoy his football and is in a team that no longer has a connection on and off the pitch. It’s very dangerous when you think about it like that, especially when you’re in teams as big as Milan, Real Madrid or Barcelona.
Messi became disappointed with life at Barca as they limped down the line in 2019-20, and things haven’t improved much in the current campaign.
Despite the appointment of club legend Ronald Koeman as manager, consistency issues have held back the La Liga giants at home and abroad.
Edmilson believes questionable recruiting is to blame for the regression in Catalonia, with a lot of money invested in deals that have not worked.
He added: “All teams have to go through changes, whether it’s two or five years from now.
“Barcelona are going through a very difficult political period, there is a political divide and there is a generation that has won everything and is at the end of an era, and there are changes that they are having difficulty with.
“I think Barcelona are going through quite a difficult period.
“They signed players who, for me, have not shown much on the field, they have invested a lot in these players and unfortunately when we invest a lot in players who do not give collective or individual results, the crisis happens and that, for a great team, is very dangerous.
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