FC Barcelona will say goodbye to two veteran presence on their squad as Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are exiting the Spanish club after the 2022-23 season.
As Busquets and Alba leave, Barcelona will need a new captain and Mundo Deportivo reported on Saturday that if Lionel Messi decides to sign as a free agent, the 35-year-old is likely to receive the captain’s armband.
The Argentine is the most respected footballer in the locker room, for his former teammates and the rest he has come after. Messi was already captain of Barcelona and it would not be easy to understand that he now, on his return, would want to be again.
If the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner opts not to return, then the La Liga side must consider other options. Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski are seen inside the Barcelona dressing room as strong candidates.
The two are footballers with personality and character and who have ancestry in the squad. Their teammates respect them and the coaching staff; on occasions, they have already been leaders this season despite not wearing the captain’s armband.
