Lionel Messi can settle greatest of all-time debate with Premier League transfer

The acid test used to be whether you could deliver the goods on a wet Wednesday night in Stoke.

But if Lionel Messi comes to the Premier League with Manchester City – and I’ll believe it when I see it – I can’t wait to see how he performs against the champions at Anfield.

Last time Messi ran the gauntlet of the Kop in full voice, Barcelona crashed to a 4-0 defeat on one of the greatest European nights in Liverpool’s history.

And if Messi signing for City actually happens, with all the eye-watering numbers involved for a 33-year-old, perhaps it will settle the argument once and for all – whether he is the greatest player of modern times, or whether the crown belongs to Cristiano Ronaldo.

At present, Ronaldo may be a fraction ahead on this judge’s scorecard because he has won seven titles in three different countries with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus – as well as winning Euro 2016 with Portugal.

But seeing Messi in club football on English soil would be the equivalent of Pele or Diego Maradona on these shores – a privilege.

My only reservation is that we’ve yearned to see Messi sprinkle his stardust in the country for years – but as things stand, if our wish is granted, the fans won’t be able to watch him play in person.

First things first: The finances required to make it happen are astronomical – even if it was a free transfer.

I’ve read that City are prepared to offer Barcelona £89 million plus Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus and Eric Garcia in exchange for Messi. That doesn’t sound enough to me! (Only joking).

Seriously, though: How do you put a value on a phenomenon who is 33 and may have only two or three years’ magic left in the wand?

If a transfer fee is involved, it could take upwards of £500 million to turn the move into reality, and Messi’s estimated £1m-a-week wages would have implications for financial fair play.

Could Messi do it week in, week out in the Premier League? Of course he could – the man is a genius.

But English football is not just physically demanding now. There is no such thing as an easy away game. Not at Turf Moor, or Selhurst Park, or Bramall Lane or Elland Road.

Apart from City, Paris Saint-Germain are probably the only other club outside Spain who could afford Messi.

Maybe you could include Manchester United in that bracket – after all, the Glazer family who own them have just brought NFL legend Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But with the greatest respect, I don’t think Ligue Un in France would test him as much as the Premier League.

And that’s not to be disparaging about top clubs in France – because Lyon and PSG both made it to the Champions League semi-finals earlier this month.

But you have to think that if anyone is going to get the best out of Messi beyond the Nou Camp, it would be his old mentor Pep Guardiola at City.

Just think of the damage a front three of Messi, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero could inflict.

It would be a joy to see a genius at large in England this season.

But like I said: It would be a shame for supporters who have waited a lifetime to see Lionel Messi play in the flesh if they were locked out of grounds.

I also have to say that the sums of money involved to prise Messi away from Barcelona would not sit comfortably with some people when we are still in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic.

And in any case, I fear it will be financially unviable unless it is a free transfer.