There's no doubting that the diminutive Argentinian would be good enough to replace the Portuguese genius - but with Messi unlikely to want a move and Alex Ferguson showing no signs of further spending it's not going to happen.Fergie has a great track record of producing results even after offloading big stars - but has he gone too far this time?
Is there another player out there who could fill the gap? Has he already found the right man in Antonio Valencia? Does Ryan Giggs have enough left in the tank to produce one more season of brilliance?
Or have United already blown their attempt to win a fourth consecutive title by not opening the wallet wide enough?
