Has Lionel Messi become an expendable player at Barcelona?

Before any pitchforks come out, it is essential to look at the situation currently taking place at the Camp Nou.

A year ago Barcelona was undeniably Messi's team. He was the creative master. He was the main goal scorer. He was also the main assister. He was, in other words, the heart and soul of Blaugrana.

He had tremendous help from Neymar and Luis Suarez in reaching the treble but with close to 60 goals and 30 assists, Messi was undeniably the man of the moment in World Soccer.

At the start of 2015-16, he looked rather ordinary, missing easy goals, failing to set up much and just looking rather frustrated on the pitch. Then he went down in late September and Barcelona looked lost. Without its star man, who would fill the shoes.

The growing pains without Messi were tough initially despite Neymar and Luis Suarez stepping up to fill the void.

Now there is no void; Neymar and Suarez have made the team their own.

The Brazilian phenom is arguably making the greatest case for the Argentine's expendability. He leads the entire Spanish League with 11 goals, looking like the current Pichichi front-runner at the age of 23.

Since Messi went down, Neymar has scored nine goals in nine games, a statistic that Messi was struggling to sustain prior to his injury. That he is doing it with far fewer shots than Messi would usually average emphasizes just how effective Neymar has become offensively.

But goals are not everything. Neymar also has a whopping six assists in the nine games since Messi went down turning him into the team's central setup man; on the entire year he has 13 goals and six assists in all competitions for Blaugrana while also averaging around 5.15 dribbles overall. In other words, he is becoming a tremendous complete offensive player.

Throw in Luis Suarez and Barcelona really does not need anyone else. Suarez has scored nine goals in his last nine without Messi as well and also has three assists in that span. In all competitions he has 14 goals and four assists in all competitions while averaging an average of four shots per game, less than Neymar and Messi. He has proven to have amazing chemistry with the Brazilian and there can be no doubt that no one is questioning Barcelona's offensive abilities at the present memory.

Most would argue that Messi would only make this better and who would oppose them? This trio was the highest scoring triplet in soccer history.

Yet Messi at 27 will never be more valuable as he is at the present moment. In other words, Barcelona can fetch a killing for the superstar, a monetary amount that could potentially fund transfer moves and upgrades for years and years come.

More importantly, it gives the team to Neymar, thus starting the transition to life without Messi for the next decade or so. Everyone knows that this is in fact the future of Barcelona with Neymar as the team's undisputed superstar. He has also assumed that mantle and it would be hurtful for the team long term to take it away. And we all know that Messi's return will do just that.

It might also ease the pressure on Messi who has been feel the heat from the tax evasion scandals. Selling him to England or France would allow him to get away from the distractions that might be harming his game.

Should Barcelona sell Messi and hand the reins over to Neymar and Suarez full time?