Football Rumors: Juventus Attempting To Pair Cristiano Ronaldo With Lionel Messi 'Successor'

Cristiano Ronaldo could become teammates with Lionel Messi’s successor.

After an impressive senior debut with Barcelona last season, Ansu Fati is now drawing interest from the biggest clubs across Europe’s top five leagues.

Among the early suitors of the Spanish sensation are the reigning Serie A champions Juventus. The club’s official website carries a report from Tuttojuve.com which states that along with Manchester United, the organization has “asked” about Fati’s current situation at Barca, intending to sign the youngster touted as Messi’s heir.

The report also noted that Fati is “untouchable at the moment” as Barcelona is planning to build a team around him in the near future. However, a bid of around €150 million ($183 million) could be enough to lure him in.

The club also suggests that the apparent interest of bringing Fati to Juventus reveals that the Italian top-flight champs are leaning towards “younger players,” having been constantly linked with under 25-year-old prospects such as Manuel Locatelli.

Even more interesting, the report added that Fati’s possible arrival at Juventus could be a start of anew for Bianconeri with Ronaldo beginning to enter the twilight years of his career.

Before suffering a knee injury in November, Fati has been exceptional for Barcelona, bagging a total of four goals in seven league games.

During Fati’s first senior season with Barcelona, Messi himself raved about the teenager’s potential. Moreso, the Barca captain also emphasized that he wants Fati to succeed the same way he did, hinting at the possibility of discovering the “new Messi.”

"I really like him and I try to help and support him. He’s an amazing player and he’s got what it takes to succeed,” Messi told FIFA.com of Fati last year. “But if I look at it through my eyes, I’d like them to bring him on gradually, like they did with me when I started, taking things nice and easy and without putting pressure on him. You have to remember that he’s only 16.”

“I hope he keeps on enjoying it and that all the fuss around him doesn’t have a negative impact on him because he has the quality to become one of the best,” the Argentine continued.

Since joining Barcelona in 2012 at the age of 10 and his first-team debut in August 2019, Fati has already scored 13 goals in 43 matches. In just almost two and a half seasons with the senior team, the 18-year-old has already set an array of records, including Barcelona’s youngest goalscorer.