Barely weeks after losing Neymar for a jaw dropping 222 million euros to Paris Saint-Germain, rumours in the press say that approaches have been made by Man City to Lionel Messi, who currently has a 300 million euro release clause.
Messi is yet to ink a contract extension at Barcelona- the Catalans announced on July 5 that they had agreed on a contract renewal till 2021 “to be signed” in the coming weeks, but no official news on that front has come forth after that, meaning it is yet to be formally inked.
While Yahoo France have linked Man City with a 300 million bid for Messi, Duncan Castles from the Daily Record (a fairly reputable source for City transfer gossip) has said that the two parties have been in talks, but a more likely switch might be a free transfer ahead of the 2018-19 season. However Castles reckons that City are ready to activate the 300 million release clause should they agree terms with the player, but the lack of time between now and the end of the window could be a deterrent (the Neymar saga dragged on for weeks)
What a transfer window this has been, and what could this mean for under-fire Bartomeu if the Spanish giants lose two of their famed MSN trio?
There’s already some simmering anger over the way young Sergi Samper was told he was surplus to requirements at the Nou Camp, and Barca’s first signing of the summer transfer window after Neymar’s transfer being Spurs reject Paulinho from the Chiense league.
Does Messi to City sound unlikely? It perhaps might be, but then Neymar to PSG was also rubbished off when the rumours first started coming in, and it then became a reality.
The move would also reunite the Argentine superstar with Pep Guardiola, who has previously managed him at Barcelona.
