But will Leo really fancy it on a cold, wet, windy night at Stoke?

LET’S face it, we all want to know the answer to the age-old chestnut. Can he do it on a cold, wet, windy night – or day – in Stoke? It seems Manchester City, Sheikh Mansour (right) and the club’s Barcelona-bred executives are determined to find out. You can bet his old mentor Pep Guardiola is pretty keen too. It would be a stunning coup, but not one from left field. It was only a month ago that Guardiola – a touch mischievously – loosely fiddled around with the idea Messi might want a “new experience”. East Manchester, rather than Barcelona, would certainly be a “new experience” and you would guess Messi and his family might have to think long and hard about the cultural and climatic challenges after 15 years in the Catalan capital.

But, after so long at one club, Messi might, indeed, want a fresh challenge.

Dazzling the Premier League as he has dazzled La Liga for over a decade would certainly be that.

As if it needs one, it would be a major fillip for the Premier League. It might be the most exciting, competitive league in the world, but most of the world’s elite players are in Barcelona, Madrid and Munich. Messi remains in the vanguard of that elite group. Forget the mind-boggling statistics, Messi’s mesmeric talent shows no sign of dissipating. If you need reminding, catch up with his performance for Argentina against Colombia or his recent dismantling of Sevilla. He remains the finest footballer in the world, no doubt. That is why it would take these wildly astronomical financial numbers just to turn his head.

On a weekend when Children In Need has been fundraising so wonderfully, the figures jar a little.

But the Premier League is hoovering up billions from its broadcasting and commercial deals around the world.

Throw in the wealth of the club’s ownership and the financial side of the deal would not be an issue.

The issue would be whether Messi would want to swap brilliant Barcelona – the club of his life – for the rough and tumble of the Premier League.

Whether he would swap away trips to sunny Sevilla for jaunts to cold, wet, windy Stoke.

Let’s hope so.