Source: Statista

Barcelona talisman and for some the greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi, has handed in a transfer request, potentially signalling the end of his incredibly successful years at the Camp Nou.

With the club seemingly in turmoil at all levels, the 33 year old’s request to leave will hit the club hard, but may also allow new head coach Ronald Koeman to make a fresh start and embark on something which fans of successful teams never want to hear: a rebuilding project.

Still, one glance at Messi’s goal scoring record says everything about the massive importance of the player to the club, and the size of the job Barcelona will have on their hands to fill the hole he leaves behind. In 731 games in all competitions, the Argentinian found the net an incredible 634 times – averaging out at almost one goal every match (0.9 to be precise).