Former Crystal Palace owners Simon Jordan has laughed off the idea of Lionel Messi and Neymar playing in the Premier League amid interest from Chelsea.
Speaking on his talkSPORT, he said: “Neymar is a remarkably talented player.
“I think he represents a generation of players at times that I don’t particularly admire in terms of their show ponies – marvellous ability, wonderful ability, but he seems to be a handful at times.
“And Messi, well Messi is at the end of his career. First of all, you’ve got the obligation of the wages, and people will make a pass about it and say, ‘well £500K, £600K, £700K-a-week is what goes with the territory.’
“But it’s preposterous, it’s preposterous. And we just accept these things with some sort of flick of the hand, ‘that’s Lionel Messi, he’s well worth it.’ No, he’s not.
“So coming into the Premier League at this stage in his career, the argument always raised about Messi, ‘could he do it on a wet Tuesday evening against Stoke?’
“Well, that is an argument that was raised when he was in his pomp, it’s not going to change now is it? Because he’s a declining force. He’s still a remarkable player.
“I wonder now if he would be able to compete with the ferocity of the Premier League, you look at the game between Newcastle and Arsenal.
“You look at the pace, the ferocity, the physicality of it, and I wonder how Lionel Messi would stand up to that.
“Yes he’s a magician, yes he’s a wizard with the ball and ultimately he’d still be able to have that first yard in his mind.
“But I don’t see Messi, A), for the financial constraints, and B), who? Who would want it? Who would want Messi in their side at this stage in his development?
“He hasn’t really done what he’s done previously at Barcelona at PSG. So who are we talking about, Man City? Can’t see it, despite the connection to Pep Guardiola.
“Liverpool? I can’t see it. Manchester United? Categorically can’t see it, they’ll have been burnt by the [Cristiano] Ronaldo situation, they won’t want another prima donna in the building.
“So Messi no. Neymar, it’s a different animal, it comes with a load of baggage that a very capable player that moved to PSG, that I don’t think despite the fact on paper it will look like he’s been a success there, I don’t think he necessarily has.
“And again it comes down to the same equation, who’d want that aggravation? Who’d want that circus that comes with Neymar?
“There’s always someone that would, but again you look at the top four-five sides, because he will want to play for one of the big sides.
“Who in their construct would think that Neymar was a useful addition? First of all you’ll have the transfer fee, then you’ll have the ridiculous wages that goes with it.
“Then you’ll have the entourage and all that goes around him. Does the Premier League need it?”
Jordan added: “I don’t see either of those two landing in the Premier League and I quite frankly don’t care.
“We’ve seen the best of Lionel Messi, but I think this Lionel Messi, this version, may well be off to the Middle East to collect his big bag of money and finish his career with ridiculous amounts of money given to him because of the back catalogue of work that he’s done.
“And Neymar, I don’t know where he will go and what he will do, but he will pitch up somewhere significant because he’s a good player, but I just don’t see it being in the Premier League.”