Will Barcelona star Messi emulate one-club men Maldini, Giggs and Totti?

Lionel Messi will have the option to bring his long-standing association with Barcelona to an end in a matter of hours.

The 34-year-old’s Camp Nou contract is set to expire on July 1, leaving him free to move on from the club where he has spent the entirety of his 17-year professional career thus far.

Fortunately for Barca, that outcome looks unlikely, with recent reports suggesting that the Argentina great is on the verge of agreeing fresh terms.

Should Messi put pen to paper on that extension, it will increase the possibility of him joining the ranks of players who spent their whole careers at just one club. 

Here, we take a look at five of football’s most celebrated one-club men.

Paolo Maldini (AC Milan)

Indisputably one of the greatest defenders of all-time, Maldini made his Milan debut as a 16-year-old in 1985 and spent the next quarter of a century at San Siro, winning seven Serie A titles and five Champions Leagues.

Paolo Maldini: the name says it all
Paolo Maldini: un nome, una leggenda #weareacmilan pic.twitter.com/4VUrCOTiBq

— AC Milan (@acmilan) June 26, 2017

Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)

Like Maldini, Giggs progressed from prodigious young talent to distinguished elder statesman as he represented United from 1990 to 2014. Two Champions Leagues and 13 Premier League titles sit among an astonishing 34 honours amassed by Giggs across 963 senior United appearances.

963 games
168 goals
34 trophies
A true football legend.

Ryan Giggs made his final #MUFC appearance three years ago today… pic.twitter.com/hOnXuhOX40

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 6, 2017

Francesco Totti (Roma)

Totti bid an emotional farewell to Roma at the end of the 2016-17 campaign after 786 competitive appearances and 307 goals – matching Maldini’s record of appearing in 25 Serie A seasons.

today – happy birthday to the ! @Totti   #ASRoma   pic.twitter.com/J6eJq4xWY2

— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) September 27, 2017

Carles Puyol (Barcelona)

A long-time team-mate of Messi’s and the captain of Pep Guardiola’s mesmeric treble winners of 2008-09, Puyol won six LaLiga titles and three Champions Leagues. With 593 appearances for Barcelona to his name, the defender sits fifth on the club’s all-time list behind Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, and the outright leader Messi on 778.

Great goals at Bernabéu: Carles Puyol #VineFCB #classicfcb https://t.co/HukPfZ2HwR

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 23, 2014

Matthew Le Tissier (Southampton)

A mercurial forward with a knack for scoring improbably audacious goals, Le Tissier was regularly linked with the leading lights of English football during his 1990s heyday. He remained loyal to boyhood club Southampton to cement icon status on the south coast, although a mere eight appearances for England provides a talking point about what might have been possible had he not resisted offers from bigger clubs. 

“Here’s Le Tissier!” #OnThisDay in 2001, @mattletiss7 ensured that #SaintsFC said a perfect farewell to The Dell: pic.twitter.com/IeKoS1xeWY

— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) May 19, 2017