Messi to Manchester – is the deal still on?

The Messi to Manchester City saga looks set to rumble on as various sources have reported sustained interest on the part of both parties.

Messi was heavily linked with a move to the Etihad when it was revealed he believed he had outgrown Barcelona following their dire finish to the 2019-20 campaign, a season which came to a head with an 8-2 defeat at the hands of eventual European champions Bayern Munich.

Ultimately, the move to Manchester City did not materialise in the summer window. A dispute over the terms of a clause in the Argentine’s contract between Messi’s representatives and ex-Barca president Josep Bartomeu meant that the transfer hit a roadblock.

But Messi’s contract is up at the end of the season and he is then free to enter negotiations with any club he so wishes. There are few clubs in world football who have the financial muscle to attract a player like Messi, and Manchester City are one of that prestige few.

They may have to pay 33-year-old Messi upwards of £500,000 a week, but the club’s officials feel that it is a gamble worth taking.