Did we try to get Messi on loan in 2005?

It was 2005 and yes we did and were unable to get him. Brazilian Ronaldo nearly signed for us but Inter Milan came in for him. It was essentially a near done deal.
 
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I read Mcleish’s son found him on Football Manager and recommended him :))

Most likely shite though.
 
From memory it was season 2003/2004 through Wouters link to Ten Caate and we were linked more with Iniesta but he played well pre season and it killed any potential move. Messi was suggested as an alternative loan but Barca weren't entertaining any offers, certainly not to Scotland. Could have the details wrong though.

Eto'o was linked from Mallorca the previous summer and McLeish was on record basically saying he wasn't that keen on him.
 
Wasn't the story that Eck was told that Messi was a no go, but Iniesta was a possibility, only for him to get called into the Barca first team around that time?
 
From memory it was season 2003/2004 through Wouters link to Ten Caate and we were linked more with Iniesta but he played well pre season and it killed any potential move. Messi was suggested as an alternative loan but Barca weren't entertaining any offers, certainly not to Scotland. Could have the details wrong though.

Eto'o was linked from Mallorca the previous summer and McLeish was on record basically saying he wasn't that keen on him.

tbf Eto’o is no Stevie Thompson.:))
 
There is an actual Interview with McLeish that came with Football Manager one year as part of a DVD extras.

McLeish said his son was playing it and there was a guy in Barca reserves scoring loads...Messi. They enquired and got offered Iniesta instead. Barca got an injury crisis that weekend, Iniesta played and that was the end of that.
 
Wasn't the story that Eck was told that Messi was a no go, but Iniesta was a possibility, only for him to get called into the Barca first team around that time?

That's how I remember it.

We enquired about Messi and was told no go, but Barca were willing to let Iniesta go on loan to get some first time experience. Then he goes and dominates some teams in Barcas pre season and the rest is history.
 
There’s a good few pages on it in one of Graham Hunters books on Barcelona.

I’m sure it was Jan Wouters who was heavily involved (could be wrong). The initial deal was to get both Iniesta and Messi on loan.

If my memory serves me right Iniesta was actually very close to joining us but Messi wasn’t up for it.
 
Not sure on the year, but yes we most certainly attempted to get Messi on loan.

This has been rubbished many times by Guillem Balague.

His name was on a list circulated to many clubs but we never even considered making a move.
 
It was 2005 and yes we did and were unable to get him. Brazilian Ronaldo nearly signed for us but Inter Milan came in for him. It was essentially a near done deal.

I don’t think Ronaldo was ever close to being a done deal and the whole thing was really just a publicity stunt by Murray.

Gianluca Vialli on the other hand . . .
 
There is an actual Interview with McLeish that came with Football Manager one year as part of a DVD extras.

McLeish said his son was playing it and there was a guy in Barca reserves scoring loads...Messi. They enquired and got offered Iniesta instead. Barca got an injury crisis that weekend, Iniesta played and that was the end of that.

That's the correct story. Apparently there was a genuine chance we would get Iniesta and an outside chance too of Messi, but Barca's injury situation scuppered it.
 
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