Brazil and AC Milan great Kaka believes Lionel Messi would be a success in the Premier League were he to leave Barcelona.

The Argentina international has been linked with a move away from the Camp Nou following a public bust-up with sporting director Eric Abidal.

A clause in Messi’s contract would allow him to walk away for free in the summer, provided he communicates his desire to do so by May.

Manchester City have been spoken of as a potential destination should Messi decide to seek pastures new at the end of the campaign.

And Kaka, who played against the Barcelona forward during his time at Milan and Real Madrid, believes Messi would thrive in English football.

‘I think it’s not going to be a problem for him to play in the Premier League, or at a top club at the top three leagues in the world would be good for him,’ Kaka told Sky Sports.

‘But of course, it depends on what he wants for his career. It’s hard to see him playing for another club, but it’s just … “It’s OK, it’s time for me to change and I’ll go to have another experience and I’ll be the best football player in the world for another team.”

‘I think the most important thing is not the broken part but the way this is going to be broken.

‘When [Cristiano] Ronaldo left Madrid we were sad that Ronaldo left the club and, of course, a lot of them regret Ronaldo’s left Real Madrid.

‘But I think everybody at the time understood that, OK, for him it’s another challenge, he needs another challenge, he needs to move, it’s OK, we are one of the best clubs in the world and we’ll keep going, Real Madrid needs to rebuild.

‘It’s more the way, if it’s going to happen, it’s the way that it’s going to happen.’