Manchester City are said to be encouraged by reports sourcing from Spain that Lionel Messi could swap Barcelona for the Etihad stadium after a contract stand-off.
The reports state that the 29-year-old is open to the idea of a move to the Premier League to line up with some familiar faces.
A move to Manchester would see him work under manager Pep Guardiola once again, as well as former Barca and now City chief executive Txiki Begiristain, and not to mention good friend and fellow compatriot Sergio Aguero.
Despite Guardiola distancing himself from making a move for Messi last month, when his side took on Barcelona in the Champions League, it appears that the move could be on if Messi declines a new contract from the Catalan side.
Guardiola said: “If he decides to leave, there will be a list of 4-6 clubs that will want to sign him.
“But that will be decided by him, not me or anyone else.”
If their superstar does indeed decide that he wishes to leave, then Barca will look to offload the forward as quickly as possible with Messi’s current deal set to expire in 18 months, and they do not wish to lose a player of Messi’s calibre for nothing.
What would Messi bring?
If the deal were to go through, Messi would be 30-years-old and nearing the latter stages of his career. Nonetheless the capture of one of, if not the best player in the world, would prove an excellent step for City as they go on their quest for European glory.
The striker, who was massively successful under Guardiola during his tenure in charge at the Nou Camp, will only add to City’s already vastly talented attacking line up and could provide that extra bit of quality that would turn the blues into even more of a dominant force.