Chelsea targeting Messi transfer as Blues 'step up' plans to beat Barcelona to deal

Chelsea are reportedly stepping up their efforts to sign a Lionel Messi namesake currently plying his trade in Saudi Arabia.

The Blues will soon go up against the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's former club Paris Saint-Germain, hosting the Blues in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Tuesday evening.

Liam Rosenior's men are fighting a huge uphill battle to prolong their European adventure on their home turf, having suffered a humbling 5-2 loss at the Parc des Princes in the opening fixture.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia provided two goals and an assist off the bench during a devastating cameo, while Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola also managed to breach the Chelsea backline in the French capital.

To make matters worse for Chelsea, they are anxiously awaiting the outcome of a UEFA investigation into Pedro Neto, who faces a possible one-match ban for shoving a ball boy in the first-leg loss.

Chelsea 'accelerate plans' to sign Rayane Messi

The Portuguese is available for the second leg as things stand, but he could soon face added competition for his spot on the left-hand side of the Chelsea attack.

According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea are accelerating their plans to bring 18-year-old attacker Rayane Messi Tanfouri - currently on loan at Neom from Strasbourg - to Stamford Bridge.

The 2007-born starlet joined Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg from Dijon for around £1.3m in 2024, and he has already scored twice in two appearances for Les Coureurs, both of which came in the 2024-25 Coupe de France.

Messi spent the first half of the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Pau before making the switch to Neom last month, and he has since come up with one goal and one assist for the Saudi side.

Messi will return to Strasbourg at the end of the season and is expected to be fully integrated into the Coureurs first team next season, with a view to eventually moving on to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea battling four clubs for Messi signature?

Even though the 18-year-old has not set the world alight during the embryonic stages of his career, he is also said to have caught the eye of three other European powerhouses in recent months.

Barcelona, Bayern Munich and PSG have apparently all made enquiries for the France Under-19 international, but BlueCo have no intention whatsoever of letting him depart in the coming months.

Whether Messi will be deemed ready for regular Ligue 1 football in 2026-27 remains to be seen, but Chelsea are closely monitoring his development and have complete faith in his ability and potential.