Manchester United legend, Wayne Rooney, has predicted that Barcelona captain, Lionel Messi could win a seventh Ballon d’Or if he eventually joins Manchester City or the Red Devils this summer.
Messi’s future at Barcelona is uncertain after the 33-year-old surprised Barca board on Tuesday night when he asked for his contract, which has one year still to run, to be terminated under an end-of-season release clause.
The Argentine captain had drawn the interest of many European top clubs including Manchester City, Manchester United, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan in the past few days.
But Rooney, who is now filling a player-coach role at Derby County, believes Messi can also win the Premier League Best Player of the Season playing alongside Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne at Etihad or Man United’s Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford.
“I know he’s getting older, but he’s a player who no-one has seen before,” Rooney told talkSPORT.
“Messi has everything – he can create goals, score goals, dictate the game and is the best player of all time.
“He’s one of the only players I have sat there and watched and been in awe.
“He and Cristiano Ronaldo have set a standard which I do not think will ever be seen again but, for me, Messi is just on a different level.”
“The United States shouldn’t be in his mind because he’s too good,” Rooney added.
“He could come to the Premier League and be a Player of the Year. One million per cent.
“If he surrounds himself with Bruno Fernandes [at Man United] or Kevin De Bruyne [at Man City], he could win a seventh Ballon d’Or.”