Lionel Messi: Manchester City have the finances to sign the Barcelona forward
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ByEurosport
Updated 10/10/2020 at 09:00 GMT
Manchester City are reportedly still interested in signing Barcelona's Lionel Messi when his contract expires in 2021. The Premier League club will be able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with Messi in January should they still wish to sign the Argentina international.
Lionel Messi
Image credit: Getty Images
Manchester City will be in a position to sign Lionel Messi if the opportunity presents itself next season, the Premier League club's chief operating officer said.
City were the frontrunners to land Messi's services after the 33-year-old Argentine handed Barcelona an official notice in August of his desire to terminate his contract.
However, the six-times Ballon d'Or winner eventually decided to stay in Spain for the coming season, the last on his current deal, as he did not want to face a legal battle with the club he joined as a teenager and with whom he has amassed more than 30 major trophies.
"He's the best player in the world, he's the best player of his generation. I think any club in the world would like to explore the possibility of him joining their team," Omar Berrada told Manchester Evening News.
"He's probably an exception to potential investments that we'd do... but our planning has been done with this current squad and it is being considered with the current opportunities that we have.
For every single position we have to be prepared because there can be so many things that can happen but, at the same time, I think we have the financial strength and system ability to make that investment when required.
EUROSPORT SPAIN: CITY EXPECT TO SIGN MESSI
City expect to sign Lionel Messi next summer when his contract at Barcelona expires, , who say "Barca have won an extra ball but not the game" by keeping him for the coming season.
Eurosport Spain say City are still confident of recovering the negotiations with Messi and his father Jorge, while Pep Guardiola is relieved that there will be no messy court proceedings with his former club.
City, who can negotiate a pre-contract agreement with Messi from January, will offer the Argentine three seasons in England and another two at New York City in MLS.
OPINION: MESSI SHOULD LOOK ELSEWHERE
On the surface, a move to City actually makes perfect sense for Lionel Messi.
For Messi, he has not been crowned a European champion since 2015. He has won it four times, one time fewer than his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo. It is Barcelona's slide away from contention that has prompted his desire to leave Camp Nou.
But it is in the Champions League that you begin to see the colossal mismatch between the status of City and the status of Messi.
Additional reporting from Reuters.
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