City on red alert after Barca star contract stall

01 April 2016 15:38

Checking the date could give you an idea as to the likelihood of Barcelona selling any of their main assets to the Premier League, especially their talisman Leo Messi. A report in The Sun claims this is no laughing matter and that a serious sum of money is being set aside to lubricate a move for Messi to join Pep Guardliola in Manchester.

A salary of £800,000 a week has been muted as the weekly salary for the world's best player, easily making Messi the highest earner in world football. The report comes after rumoured contract talks with Messi and Barcelona were reported to be 'miles apart' which sounds somewhat familiar with other Barca and Real Madrid players being supposedly on the brink only for them to come good in the end with bumper new deals and bumper smiles.

The 28-year-old Argentinian forward has been with Barcelona since joining fifteen years ago as a youth, going on to make 520 senior appearances and winning just about every Spanish and European gong going. Joining the Premier League would offer the opportunity for the player to win new silverware and join his old buddy Pep Guardiola, sounds compelling doesn't it?

Leo Messi has a contract that doesn't expire until 2018 but wants to extend it a further three years to 2021 when the player hits 33. The report claims that City wouldn't think twice about meeting his salary demands to get him on the team sheet but at £800k-a-week (£41.6m-a-year) not to mention the transfer fee they probably should as there are surely better value deals to be had.

Source: DSG