Chimy Avila Discusses Barcelona Transfer Rumours, Playing with Lionel Messi

Osasuna forward Chimy Avila has said he wasn't focused on transfer rumours linking him to Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla in January, and he would love to play with Blaugrana forward Lionel Messi.

Per Marca (h/t Goal's Robin Bairner), the 26-year-old was linked with all three clubs after a great start to the season, but an untimely injury put an end to the transfer talk.

A move could be possible when he returns to full health: "I was only thinking about achieving survival with Osasuna. I didn't think about those things. Maybe when I'm back my agent he will tell me things."

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He was also asked about Barcelona star Messi, saying everyone wants to play alongside him: "Everyone would like to play with him because he's the best in the world. But it's not a dream, as such. All of this has to be overcome first, but it could happen with the national team as well [as at Barcelona]."

The Catalans were among the favourites to land the in-form striker in January, but those dreams came crashing down when he suffered a season-ending injury against Levante. Barcelona instead signed Martin Braithwaite as attacking depth.

Former Real Madrid star Roberto Carlos and current captain Sergio Ramos were among those who reached out to him after the setback:

Avila scored nine goals and added two assists in La Liga before suffering the injury, emerging as Osasuna's top attacking option during the first half of the season. He was one of the top breakout performers in Spain, and the transfer chatter came as no surprise.

He'll have to rebuild the interest from top clubs once he returns to full health, and even if he does, a switch to the Camp Nou seems unlikely. Barcelona's interest came in large part because of the injury Luis Suarez suffered in January, leaving the Catalans short on depth.

They're expected to invest in a younger, high-upside forward in the summer, with Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez frequently mentioned as their top target:

Lucas Ocampos is the only Sevilla player to have netted more than five La Liga goals so far, explaining the Andalusians' interest in Avila. They will likely keep an eye on him when he returns to action, and a transfer to the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in the near future would not be a surprise.

Osasuna have won just two matches across all competitions since losing their star man, highlighting just how important he is to the club.