Manchester United Transfer News: Van Gaal to Make Move for Barcelona Superstar?

Lionel Messi, if he even remotely admits he could leave Barcelona during his playing career, it is going to make news, and on top of that, it is going to be fodder for the transfer rumours to swirl, swirl and then swirl some more.

Talking to Ole, Messi, when questioned if he could ever leave Barcelona, admitted "things can change a lot in football."

That opened up a whole host of questions, but Messi, first, also insisted he has not considered leaving Barcelona.

"No, today I live in the present," he told Ole when asked if he was thinking of moving to another club. "I want to make a great year and win titles with Barcelona. And nothing more."

However, there was a hint from the Barcelona superstar, that a transfer always remains possible, even if his primary wish is to stay with the La Liga giants until the end of his career.

"We'll see," he added. "Football takes many turns. While I always said that I would always stay there [Barcelona], sometimes not everything happens the way you want.

"I've said it many times -- if I had my way I would stay forever. But as I just said, it's not always given that you get everything you like.

"More so in football, which is constantly changing and so many things happen. It's complicated."

It does get complicated from a transfer news standpoint as well, as it suddenly raises that question: Will Messi finally play in the English Premier League before retiring?

Manchester City have been linked with a world record move in the past for Messi, but with the Financial Fairplay Regulations coming into effect, it puts their neighbours Manchester United in the strongest situation.

It was recently revealed by Guillem Balague, in his book "Messi" that Arsenal came extremely close to signing Messi as a teenager, making them a possible destination, even if money might be a problem, while you can never rule out Chelsea either.

However, Manchester United, who have also been heavily linked with a move for the other great player of this era – Cristiano Ronaldo -- will remain in pole position if that news that everyone thought would never happen, actually happens – Barcelona allow Messi to leave the club.

The Barca legend, who ironically played at Old Trafford on Saturday for Argentina in a friendly against Ronaldo's Portugal, has already broken goalscoring records left, right and centre for the club, and having won pretty much every title on offer, has little to prove.

So, if that desire to prove himself in another league – and the Premier League will be the most likely destination – does come, then the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool will be waiting, with United probably right in front of that queue.

Maybe those minutes on the Old Trafford pitch on Tuesday from Messi, was just a taste of things to come.