Despite his glittering career and wonderful goal-scoring form, Niall Quinn believes the dependence on Lionel Messi by Barcelona has become too great and the Catalonia giants might be best served by planning for their future without him.
Speaking on Virgin Media Sport's coverage of the Champions League, the former Republic of Ireland international shared his belief that Lionel Messi has become an incurable problem for the five-time European champions.
"Well, I was one of the first people to say that," he explained, the issue first becoming apparent to him after Barcelona's defeat to Liverpool in last year's Champions League.
"I got a little bit of criticism for it, but I would say it louder than ever now because I feel just from experience looking at other great teams and how they dissolved and went their ways.
Barcelona have invested heavily in recent years but Quinn believes Messi's presence makes it very difficult for new players to blossom.
"Messi has been the constant," he noted of the 33-year-old Argentinian who made his debut in 2004.
"I think what's happened to some players who are top players, and they've bought top players, they've been completely overshadowed by Messi. They haven't been able to express themselves the way they are.
"I look at a player who's gone to their club now who thrilled us last year playing for a supposedly weaker team. And it's Frenkie de Jong.
"The ability he showed in the Champions League and every game last year, by being the main man in the middle, by being the distributor by being the boss of it all. He is just a classic example of somebody who will never be as good as he should be while Messi is at that club."
According to Quinn, Lionel Messi's presence has become too much for the club and it is time they ought to look elsewhere.
"It's been brilliant," he remarked of Messi's time with the club. "It's fantastic.
"But I watched last night, a couple of times, I saw him with hands on his hips. I saw, you know, Suarez the same, and I see this rampant Bayern Munich going through them, mercilessly, taking them apart.
"And I looked at and I'm wondering is this the final realization that Barcelona has to move on to the next stage where it would not include Messi? I think he's been incredible, but this is the way clubs are built and they go again."
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