Manchester City are once again being linked with Barcelona star Lionel Messi and his former manager, Pep Guardiola, with the latest reports claiming the Citizens are willing to offer the Argentinian an astronomical wage packet of £800,000 per week to join.
The Sun's Shaun Custis and Martin Lipton even claim Messi's representatives have already held talks with the Premier League giants, and Barcelona could be willing to part with their biggest star for less than half of his buyout clause:
City have been given encouragement that Messi is willing to end his time in Spain after 11 years — where his current £500,000-a-week deal ends in 2018.And despite a buy-out clause of £250m, the Spanish champions are believed to be open to offers at a more realistic £120m for the four-time Ballon D’Or winner. ...The City hierarchy can fund the remarkable package on the back of the new TV deal that begins next season and will be worth up to £150m per season for the champions.City chiefs also know that signing Messi would greatly improve their chances of making Pep Guardiola their next boss given the pair’s incredible success together at the Camp Nou.
The Sun Football shared this image, showing the news making the front page of their sport section:
Lionel Messi in talks over Man City move | @shauncustis &@MartinLipton https://t.co/BTVxTVkOhK pic.twitter.com/XLzEJNr2KA— The Sun - Football (@TheSunFootball) November 26, 2015
Per Custis and Lipton, the 28-year-old is considering leaving Barcelona due to the ongoing tax evasion investigation against him and his father, who also acts as his agent. They also mentioned his recent absence due to injury, in which Neymar and Luis Suarez showed they can carry the load for the Catalans by themselves.
The claims sound a little sensational, to say the least, and Het LaatsteNieuws' Kristof Terreur reminded his followers the Sun have pushed the link between Messi and City in the past:
@ChelsTransfer A year and one month ago.pic.twitter.com/YXW4yIQubE— Kristof Terreur (@HLNinEngeland) November 26, 2015
However, it's worth mentioning Custis was the journalist who first reported Neymar held talks with Manchester United last summer, a report for which he was widely mocked and ridiculed, per talkSPORT.
A few weeks later, Neymar confirmed the rumours were true in an interview with ESPN (h/t Daily Mirror's Liam Prenderville).
Messi has become synonymous with Barcelona over the course of the last decade, lifting the Catalan giants to new heights after joining their famed academy in 2001. He made his senior debut in 2004 and has enjoyed unrivaled success ever since, winning seven La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues and four Ballon d'Or awards.
Manu Fernandez/Associated Press
Along with rival Cristiano Ronaldo, he's widely regarded as the best player in the world, which explains why the Blaugrana inserted a massive £250 million buyout clause into his contract. In Spain, buyout clauses are mandatory, per ESPN FC's Graham Hunter.
A move away from Barcelona has never seemed likely for the Argentina international, but that hasn't stopped the transfer rumour mill from spinning. Spanish football expert Guillem Balagueweighed in on the matter, per RevistaBitesize (h/t Sky Sports): "It is the closest he's ever been to leaving Barcelona. It doesn't mean he will but it is the closest he has ever been to leaving the club."
There's no way of knowing whether or not Messi's representatives are indeed talking to City, and it shouldn't be a major surprise if they were. Messi's camp may just be sounding out City and hearing what they could hypothetically offer, but it's a big step to go from there to making an actual bid for his services.
An extended stay with Barcelona remains by far the likeliest option.Messi is far too important to the club for the Catalans to let him walk for a reduced fee, both on and off the pitch. Despite the ongoing tax investigation, the star forward still seems to be perfectly happy at the only club he's ever played for as a professional.
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