Madrid (AFP)

Chained and lonely: forced to stay in Barcelona when he wanted to leave, Lionel Messi lost in the offseason Arturo Vidal and Luis Suarez, his two best allies in the locker room.

This weekend, the Argentine will face alone the vast reconstruction site of Barça in La Liga.

"Profound changes": this is what the much criticized president Josep Maria Bartomeu had promised at the end of the rout (8-2) suffered on August 14 against Bayern Munich in the quarter-final of the Champions League in Lisbon.

But while Messi (33) himself tried to break his contract "unilaterally" before changing his mind, he probably did not imagine, a month later, having to start the La Liga season without his personal guard on Sunday against Villarreal (9:00 p.m. / 7:00 p.m. GMT).

During this summer transfer window, Barça first separated from the young Brazilian Arthur (Juventus Turin), then from Ivan Rakitic (Seville).

Regular holders of the Catalan club last season ... and less benchmarks for Messi.

Tuesday, Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal (33, 115 caps) was transferred to Inter Milan.

And on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, it is the Uruguayan center forward Luis Suarez (33 years old, 113 caps), a great friend of Messi, who was sent to a direct competitor, Atlético Madrid.

- No more Vidal, no more Suarez -

A heartbreak for Messi as much as for Suarez, who bid farewell to the club in tears on Thursday.

Neighbors in the upscale Castelldefels district in Barcelona, ​​Suarez and Messi have forged a solid friendship since the Uruguayan arrived in Catalonia in 2014, and used to arrive together every day at the Barça training center. .

With Neymar, between 2014 and 2017, they formed the famous trio "MSN", subsequently keeping a common discussion group on an online messaging.

For the past six years, Suarez and Messi have regularly spent their holidays together.

And on Thursday, the Argentinian attended the Uruguayan's farewell ceremony at Camp Nou.

"Everyone knows the relationship we have, + Leo + and me. I have played against him in the Uruguay-Argentina matches before, facing each other is not going to change the feelings we have for each other", let go of the Uruguayan, red eyes during his ceremony organized for his departure on Thursday.

Arturo Vidal also approached Messi when he arrived at Barça in 2018, and more so this last season.

The whimsical Vidal convinced the "Pulga" (flea, in Spanish) by his aggressiveness, his positive and lively spirit.

Messi, yet not very talkative on social networks, even split a farewell message to his Chilean friend.

- Isolated, but not alone -

It remains to be seen whether these heartbreaking separations will seal a forthcoming departure for Messi himself, as his Barcelona contract ends in June 2021.

Barca's first matches may give clues to the Argentinian superstar's state of mind and his compatibility with new coach Ronald Koeman's playing pattern: will Messi be able to best associate with the French Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembélé, or the Brazilian Philippe Coutinho, all revenge?

The appeasement scenario would undoubtedly satisfy all parties: Barça fans adore the iconic Argentine N.10.

His wife and children, who love the city of Barcelona, ​​were very saddened to leave.

"It was a tragedy. The whole family was crying, my children did not want to leave Barcelona or change schools," Messi told Goal.com in early September.

And then Messi can always count at Barça on several pillars of the locker room, like Gerard Piqué, his friend from the young years of the Catalan training center, or Jordi Alba, whom he often finds with his eyes closed on the pitch.

There is also Pepe Costa, officially "team manager" of the first team, but who actually plays the role of Messi's confidant.

"King Leo" is not so lonely after all ... And all of Barcelona are hoping to see him smile again.

© 2020 AFP