Lionel Messi could be a Premier League player next season. 

Those are words we never thought we'd type.

But the Argentine - regarded by many as the greatest footballer ever - is set to leave Barcelona. 

He wants to walk away from the club and Manchester City are favourites to sign him.

Just imagine Messi tearing it up week in, week out in England's top-flight. 

He'd be the greatest signing ever, right? Quite possibly.

But the Premier League has seen many other 'wow' signings over the years - that is - players who have arrived to a fanfare. 

Ibrahimovic was a big PL signing

So who exactly were those 'wow' transfers we're talking about? Well, football fans have been ranking them over at BBC Sport. Let's check them out below.

12. Juan Sebastian Veron | Man United | 1% of vote

Veron arrived at Old Trafford in 2001 for £28 million. He was one of the most famous playmakers in the world at the time. 

However, his career at Man United wasn't all that special and after struggling to adapt to English football, he left for Chelsea in 2003. Veron left Stamford Bridge after one injury-hit season.  

Veron joined United in 2001

11. Angel di Maria | Man United | 1% of vote

Man United paid a British record fee of £59.7 million to sign Di Maria from Real Madrid in 2014.

The Argentine made a promising start in his first few months but ended the season with just four goals in 32 appearances before he was shipped off to PSG. 

Di Maria had one season at Old Trafford

10. George Weah | Chelsea | 2% of vote

Former Ballon d'Or winner Weah joined Chelsea on a six-month loan from AC Milan in 2000. He was 33 at the time. 

The Liberia striker still managed to score five goals in 15 games and even won the FA Cup with the Blues.

Weah was a star for Chelsea

9. Andriy Shevchenko | Chelsea | 2% of vote

Shevchenko was another former Ballon d'Or winner to join Chelsea. He was one of Roman Abramovich's biggest signings too, costing £30 million in 2007.

But his Premier League career was disappointing. The Ukraine international scored just nine goals in 47 Premier League appearances before returning to AC Milan in 2009. 

Shevchenko scored a few for Chelsea

8. Paul Pogba | Man United | 3% of vote

It's fair to say there was an awful lot of hype when Pogba re-joined Man United for a world record £89 million in 2016. 

At Old Trafford, the Frenchman has continued to establish himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe, with 32 goals in 157 games. He's only won two trophies since returning though.  

Pogba is still at Man Utd

7. Fabrizio Ravanelli | Middlesbrough | 5% of vote

Ravanelli became the third most expensive Premier League signing when he joined Middlesbrough for £7 million in 1996, just months after netting in the Champions League final for Juventus.

In one season he scored 31 goals - including a hat-trick on his debut against Liverpool - but suffered defeat in the FA Cup final, the League Cup final and got relegated. The Italian jumped ship that.  

Ravanelli was a big signing for Boro

6. Robinho | Man City | 5% of vote

Just hours after their Abu Dhabi takeover was confirmed, Man City splashed a British record fee of £32.5 million on Real Madrid's Robinho. 

Unfortunately, the Brazilian managed just 16 goals in two years and departed to Milan in 2010. He also famously said he'd joined Chelsea in his Man City unveiling. Ouch. 

Robinho had two years in Manchester

5. Ruud Gullit | Chelsea | 12% of vote

Chelsea were signing superstars long before Abramovich arrived and Gullit is proof of that. The former Ballon d'Or winner joined the Blues in 1995 at the age of 32. 

But he still did a job in midfield for the west London club before becoming player-manager and leading them to FA Cup glory. 

Gullit was Chelsea star

4. Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano | West Ham | 13% of vote

Two of the most surprising transfers in history arrived at West Ham in 2006. Tevez and Mascherano were being touted by some of Europe's top clubs but moved to London instead.

Despite struggling at West Ham, both men went on to have brilliant Premier League careers. Tevez won titles for Man United and Man City, while Mascherano became a star at Liverpool. 

Tevez and Mascherano shocked the PL

3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Man United | 15% of vote

Eyebrows were raised when Man United signed a 34-year-old free agent, but this was Zlatan. In a successful first season, he scored 28 goals in 46 games while winning two trophies.

A serious knee injury ruined Ibrahimovic's second campaign before he left for the MLS, but the former Barcelona, AC Milan and PSG star proved he had what it takes to boss the Premier League.

Ibra joined Man Utd in 2016

2. Other | 18% of vote

This one is pretty self-explanatory. 18% of fans think there have been other 'wow' signings that aren't on BBC Sport's list. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sergio Aguero, we're looking at you.   

Aubameyang was a wow signing

1. Jurgen Klinsmann | Tottenham | 21% of vote 

World Cup winner Klinsmann arrived at Spurs in 1994 to a mixed reaction but goes down as one of the most famous signings in Premier League history.

The German scored 21 Premier League goals in one season before leaving for Bayern Munich, but he did come back to White Hart Lane in 1998 to finish his career with another nine goals.

Klinsmann even saved the club from relegation that year. 

Klinsmann at Tottenham

So there we have it, football fans rate Klinsmann as the biggest 'wow' signing in Premier League history. 

There's little doubt that Messi would blow all of those names out of the water if he did arrive at Man City this summer.