When Lionel Messi gave his world exclusive interview to Goal, it brought an end to the weeks of speculation that the game’s greatest player could be heading to Manchester City.
His decision to remain at Barcelona was, however, an unsatisfactory conclusion that left no winners and, for City, a sense of what might have been.
Messi is stuck at a club heading in the wrong direction and unable to match the winning project he wants in the final years of his incredible career.
Barcelona, meanwhile, keep their superstar but their reputation has taken a battering under president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who has lurched from crisis to catastrophe during his five-year reign.
The Catalan club were already reeling from a dismal La Liga title challenge and humiliating Champions League exit to Bayern Munich, with the transfer saga only making it harder for new boss Ronald Koeman to pick up the pieces.
“There was nothing wrong with wanting to leave. I needed it, the club needed it and it was good for everyone,” the Barca forward said.
City, meanwhile, almost sealed the capture of one of the most iconic players in the history of the game, who would have taken the club to another level and it's hard not to be left with a feeling that they were close to a game-changing moment.
The Premier League side may be one of the best teams on the planet but having Messi in the starting line-up would have taken them into the super tier of elite clubs with the added impact of boosting potential revenues.
Publicly at least, they haven’t missed out. They never made any bid or approach to Barca even when the Argentina captain sent a burofax stating that he didn’t want to stay in Catalunya any longer.
There was always a belief among some at City that he would never actually quit Camp Nou having threatened to leave before and then staying at the 11th hour.
However, sources in Spain insist Messi was deadly serious this time and that the only reason he remains with the Blaugrana is the complicated situation surrounding his €700 million (£624m/$823m) release clause.
Pep Guardiola remains close with Messi and spoke with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner when it was clear he wanted out. The coach has always shown his former prodigy honesty and respect and never tried to extricate him from Barca, even in previous years when he was discontent and considering his future.
But with Messi seemingly desperate to leave on this occasion, City were one of the few clubs that had the pulling power and financial muscle to pull off what would have been one of the greatest transfers in the history of the game.
Messi's enforced U-turn will be a disappointment and there will have been envious eyes cast towards Barcelona when he reported for his first training session on Monday. But of the key players in the saga, City lose the least.
Messi remaining does not disrupt City's plans in this transfer window. A replacement for Bayern Munich's Leroy Sane was already signed early when they picked up Ferran Torres from Valencia while the arrival of Bournemouth's Nathan Ake will strengthen the defence.
A right-sided senior centre-back was always a priority target and negotiations for the signing of Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly can hopefully be concluded before the opening game of the season in a fortnight's time.
There remains time to sign a potential forward with the transfer window closing on October 5 although there is already plenty of cover in that area.
While starting the season with Messi would have been the icing on the cake - and a serious boost to trying to end their Champions League wait - signing the brilliant forward would not have come without risks.
A punishing reorganised schedule following the Covid-19 shutdown will add extra intensity for every senior player. At 33, even Messi might struggle to make a consistent impact with that tough run of fixtures and as a newcomer to the Premier League.
There was also the potential knock-on effect of his arrival disrupting the squad, with younger players such as Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus pushing to become the next generation of Etihad Stadium legends while Messi's high wages could have caused problems to any contract renewals for senior players.
Messi was never on the club's shopping list; but he is a player that they would go all out to get if he ever becomes available.
That could yet happen in the future with the possibility that he could be available for free next summer; he is free to discuss terms with other clubs in just three months' time.
Much could depend on what happens in the opening period of the season and whether Barca can rejuvenate themselves under Koeman. They are pushing ahead with plans to sign Inter's Lautaro Martinez while getting the best from Antoine Griezmann and Frenkie de Jong after disappointing debut seasons will be key.
Even then, a move to the Etihad could also depend on whether mentor Guardiola, or close friend Sergio Aguero, remain at City, with both out of contract at the end of the season.
Any deal for Messi is dead right now. But City chief executive Ferran Soriano once said: "If one day he wants to come to City, we would open the doors wide for him." Nothing in the past month has closed those doors.
Source: Goal.com