New Headline: "Lionel Messi's Pace Pushes Barcelona to UEFA Champions League Final

Perhaps not the Messi you were expecting, but a talented young player nonetheless. (Photo by Elyxandro Cegarra/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images) | Getty Images Bayern Munich is eyeing yet another big talent. And no, this isn’t MLS star Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest football player of all time.

This is 18-year-old French winger Rayane Messi, who has been on the club’s radar for a while now. According to Bild’s Christian Falk ( @cfbayern ) and Heiko Niedderer ( @itstheicebird ), as captured by @iMiaSanMia_GER : Bayern are interested in Rayane Messi (18). The winger is currently on loan from RC Strasbourg to NEOM SC.

Bayern had already been tracking the French U19 international back in 2024, so he is well known within the club. The player, who was named in The Guardian among the best players born in the year 2007 worldwide, is primarily a left winger and is a potential low-risk, high-reward option for FC Bayern to pursue. With a current Transfermarkt valuation of €1 million, it is possible that his stock only rises with more appearances.

Given that the first team could use some wing options for the rotation, this could be a player Bayern first tries out in the Bayern II side before moving him up the ranks (if deemed worthy of a spot in the rotation). With the likes of Lennart Karl and Wisdom Mike rearing for appearances, it is unlikely that Messi will slot right in. But who knows?