Messi headed for Man City? No way, says Barca official
RUMOURS After Neymar’s recordbreaking move from Barcelona to PSG, Argentine superstar is now linked to City
Messi could soon be reuniting with his former coach Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
If transfer rumours are to be believed, the English Premier League club is ready to pay the Argentina striker’s €300 million buyout clause in Barcelona.
Messi’s current deal with Barcelona expires next summer but the club had announced last month that it had already reached an agreement with the striker on a four-year deal ending in 2021.
The deal, it was said, would have made Messi the highest paid footballer in the world.
But Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre incredibly revealed the deal is yet to be signed, said the Sun.
Over the weekend, Daily Record claimed that Manchester City officials met with Messi’s representatives last week to discuss a possible move.
Barcelona had put a €300 million buyout clause for Messi thinking that no club would be able to match the amount but after Paris Saint-Germain picked up Neymar paying out his €222 million buyout, City’s ambitions can’t be ruled out as they are also financially backed by billionaire owners who can afford any player on the market.
Barcelona could also be hit by the departure of club legend Andres Iniesta, who has admitted that he is yet to sign an extension to his contract, which also expires next summer.
Barcelona, however, maintain that Lionel Messi will sign his contract extension.
The club’s technical secretary Robert Fernandez assured it is only a matter of time before Messi signed a new contract with the La Liga giants.
But adding fire to the speculations, former Barcelona president Joan Laporta suggested Messi too could leave if current chief Josep Maria Bartomeu is not removed from his position.
“If we want Messi to continue
BARCELONA COULD ALSO BE HIT BY THE DEPARTURE OF ANDRES INIESTA, WHO HAS ADMITTED THAT HE IS YET TO SIGN AN EXTENSION TO HIS CONTRACT.
to be happy at Barca, we have to get rid of Bartomeu immediately,” Laporta wrote on Twitter.
Over the weekend it was claimed Manchester City are interested in the striker, although the Etihad club say that is not the case. But the transfer report has nevertheless spurred Barca into action.