Lionel Messi: Australia's Adelaide United try to woo Barcelona star with 'brilliant schools' and 'clean beaches'

The club wrote an open letter to the wantaway Argentine, telling him they have plenty to offer – except lots of money

Barcelona's Lionel Messi has asked for a transfer from the Spanish giants. AFP

Any club in the world would want Barcelona's Lionel Messi, but in reality there's only a handful who would be the right fit.

The likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have been the most heavily linked since Messi was reported to have sent a faxed transfer requested to Barcelona.

However, what if there was a club willing to offer him something other than the greatest stage and a hefty wage packet?

What if Messi fancies a fresh lifestyle instead of another Champions League trophy?

Step forward Australia's Adelaide United.

The A-League club's Director and Chair of the Advisory Board, Ian Smith, has penned an open letter to Messi explaining why he should shun the likes of the Premier League or Serie A, and instead move Down Under.

"There are many reasons why you will love Adelaide, our State and Australia," Smith writes in the letter, which was published on the club's Facebook page.

He goes on to list reasons such as the way the capital of South Australia has handled the coronavirus pandemic, the Mediterranean-style climate, the vast number of Spanish speakers and "good Argentine restaurants".

"Our schools are brilliant and our universities among the world's best. Our beaches are clean and the neighbouring hills are delightful," he adds.

Even the stumbling block of potential interest from PSG and Manchester United is mentioned.

"You've been to those cities so many times, so why not choose somewhere new?" Smith writes.

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Messi: 10 potential destinations

MANCHESTER CITY: Relations between Lionel Messi and Barcelona are at an all time low following the club's record scorer submitting a request by fax stating he wishes to leave - on a free transfer. According to reports, an initial meeting between new coach Ronald Koeman and Messi did not go well, with the Dutchman telling the Argentine his privileges at the club where revoked. A reunion with former Barca mentor Pep Guardiola at City would seem an ideal fit, with the club's Abu Dhabi owners able to match both Messi's wage demands and his ambitions. The man with more than 700 goals to his name could be the missing piece of the puzzle that takes City to Champions League glory. EPA

ARGENTINA: The romantic option would be for Messi to head back to Argentina and rejoin his hometown club in Rosario, Newell's Old Boys. Messi has regularly stated he would ideally love to play for his boyhood club Newell's again before he retires but has also added that security concerns over the safety of his three young children would leave him reluctant to make that move in the current climate. EPA

ITALY: Despite their domestic dominance, Juventus again came up short in their quest for their own Holy Grail in the Champions League. While no one doubts Cristiano Ronaldo has been a success in Turin, the club are reportedly touting him to European rivals including Barcelona. Is there a parallel universe where Ronaldo and Messi swap clubs, and could it become a reality? AP Photo

FRANCE: Neymar left Barcelona in 2017 determined to step out of Messi's shadow and prove he could be the best player on the planet. The Brazilian came close to a move back to Camp Nou in the summer of 2019, with Messi said to be pushing for his fellow attacker's return, before the move broke down. Could Messi and Neymar be reunited in Paris? Or will PSG jettison their Neymar experiment to lure Messi? The French champions are one of few clubs who can match the Argentine's exorbitant wage demands, but will the challenge of Ligue 1 excite him? AFP

PREMIER LEAGUE: Messi is known to be a big fan of the Premier League, and national television network Cuatro claimed on Tuesday that Manchester United are making a serious attempt to lure the Argentine to Old Trafford. While Messi and his representatives believe he is entitled to a free transfer, the Spanish giants say that detail of his contract expired at the end of May and that they are holding him to his €700 million release clause. While no club is likely to trigger that, horse trading of several young players - Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford or Paul Pogba spring to mind - could bring Barca to the negotiating table. AFP

SERIE A: Inter Milan are desperate to end Juventus' iron grip on the scudetto and club president Steven Zhang has reportedly already held talks with Messi's representatives even before the Argentine faxed in a transfer request on Tuesday. Several reports indicate that, should Messi move to San Siro, Lautaro Martinez, Inter's own Argentina international who at 23 is 10 years Messi's junior, will make the opposite move to Camp Nou. AFP

MLS: Every club on the planet would love to have Messi if they had the finances, but few have the clout. If a move to Major League Soccer is considered then linking up with David Beckham's new Inter Miami FC franchise would seem a good fit. AFP

QATAR: Barcelona legend Xavi has advised the board to do 'all they can to make Messi happy', which seems to have been roundly ignored. The former Barca midfielder, who acted as supplier in chief for a good few Messi goals during their time as teammates, distanced himself from the coach's job following Quique Setien's sacking, perhaps anticipating the malaise that was to follow. Now in charge of Qatari club Al Sadd, the lure of playing under Xavi - perhaps with a long-term view of following him back to Catalunya one day - could come into Messi's thinking. AFP

JAPAN: Former Barcelona teammates Andreas Iniesta and Sergi Samper are already on the books at Japan's Vissel Kobe and a move to the J-League could appeal to Messi as he looks to wind down his career. Reuters

CHINA: For a man whose annual salary is a reported £26 million, money may not be the motivating factor in any move for Messi. If he were to follow the well-trodden path of European and South American players and head to the Chinese Super League, it's probably fair to say he won't be taking a hit in the pocket. AFP

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He's honest enough to address the financial situation.

"We cannot offer you much in the form of financial compensation .... But hey, let's not let that get in the way of something that promises to be very special: once you are here, you will be so happy and money will seem merely incidental."

Adelaide United finished seventh in the 11-team A-League last season, so Messi would be moving from one underperforming team to another after Barcelona's disappointing campaign which saw them finish second in La Liga behind Real Madrid, and embarrassingly lose 8-2 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final.

Barcelona have yet to respond publicly but are understood to believe Messi's release clause expired in June, and that he remains under contract until the end of the 2021 season.