Barcelona To Re-Sign Youngster Shockingly Similar To Lionel Messi, Sources Claim

Barcelona is reportedly regaining interest in pursuing a former La Masia player who is deemed to be very similar to Lionel Messi.

In the history of Barcelona, a number of youngsters have been dubbed as “the next Messi.” However, Mallorca youngster Luka Romero could be the player who has the most similarities with the Argentine icon.

Romero made headlines this season by officially becoming the youngest LaLiga player in history. But some might not know that Romero had been signed by Barca in the past.

The then-7-year-old was in Barcelona Academy but was forced to leave La Masia because he didn’t reside in Barcelona at the time. However, Besoccer.com reported that Barcelona coaches have locked their sights on Romero as they didn’t want to miss out on him like they did with Takefusa Kubo, another former La Masia player who is now loaned out to Mallorca by Real Madrid.

Just like Romero, Kubo was also touted as the next Messi. He eventually found a new home in Real Madrid, carrying the nickname “Japanese Messi.”

But Kubo is apparently already a thing of the past as Barca is reportedly now keen on re-signing Romero as soon as possible. A report noted that Romero left La Masia, but the Catalans were clear that they would reach out to him again once he is old enough to make a return.

Shockingly, Romero happens to have a lot of similarities with Messi. Aside from having the same agent, Horacio Gaggioli, both players are also left-footed and wore the number 18 at Argentina. Currently, the pair also wear 10 on their shirts, a number which the six-time Ballon d’Or has already sported with pride. And while Romero made his debut in the under 15 South American championship in Paraguay last year, Messi did so on Aug. 17, 2005 in a friendly match against Hungary.

Messi and Romero’s family backgrounds surprisingly resemble each other's as well. Aside from the fact that both are Argentines and lived with their family in the same country, they both have spent practically all their lives in Spain, where they eventually developed their passion for the sport.

Ultimately, Messi and Romero also share the same love for Barcelona. While “Leo” needs no further explanation as to how much he loves Barca, sources claim that Romero also feels the same way. It has been said that the only reason why the youngster left La Masia after a week was because it was too far from his home.