Manchester City says they never had transfer talks with Messi
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner could reunite with Pep Guardiola, but Premier League leaders insist there have been no talks
Manchester City say they have made no offer to Lionel Messi as the Barcelona striker’s contract expires at the end of the season.
The Argentine superstar is free to speak to non-Spanish clubs and has been linked to several major European clubs, with City and Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain seen as prime candidates.
Premier League leaders have been reported to have made a revised offer for Messi, but a club spokesman told Goal the speculation is not true and there have been no talks.
Messi at Manchester City: what’s the latest?
City have long been linked with a move from six-time Ballon d’Or winners, partly due to the opportunity to work with his former mentor Pep Guardiola. The Premier League side are one of the few clubs able to afford his salary and there are reports that a deal could see him play for other teams in the City Football Group including New York City FC.
Indeed, the suggestion that Messi may be gone at the end of this season grew stronger following Barça’s 4-1 home defeat to PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday, with their inconsistent campaign once again failing to gain momentum.
But a club source told Goal that City have not made any offers for the striker either in the summer or beyond, and that no talks are currently open.
When will Messi make a decision?
Messi, who will turn 34 in June, will wait until the end of the season to decide his future and whether to renew his contract with Barça, where he has spent his entire professional career. Goal has learned that Messi is tired of the constant media speculation and will announce at the end of the season where he will play for the 2021-22 season and beyond.
Although he has managed to talk to other clubs, it is clear that the Argentine has decided against it.
Can Messi stay at Barcelona?
Messi has been at the center of speculation since last summer when he attempted to leave Barça to seek a new professional challenge.
Ultimately, however, he remained at the Camp Nou, where Messi exclusively revealed to Goal that he would stay at the club and fulfill his contract. Rumors about Messi’s future have not stopped since then, with the Catalan club’s upcoming presidential election set to take place on March 7.
Joan Laporta, Toni Freixa and Victor Font are the three candidates for the post, although Goal has been informed that Messi has not contacted any of them and intends to take a neutral position.
In fact, the election won’t affect his choice to stay, despite various presidential candidates having debated Messi’s future as they vie for a pre-election position.