Lionel Messi: Manchester City and Barcelona have already held transfer talks
Could Lionel Messi leave Barcelona for Manchester City? The two clubs have already held discussions about a potential transfer.
Lionel Messi is once again being linked with a move away from Barcelona. The Spanish giants have even held talks with Manchester City about a possible transfer, according to The Sun.
City are willing to offer £100 million to sign the Argentine superstar and would pay the player £800,000 a week. The fee would top the £89 million that Manchester United paid for Paul Pogba last summer.
City did not formally make a transfer bid but made it clear to Barcelona how far they are willing to go to lure Messi to the Etihad Stadium. It’s not the first time that Messi has been linked with City either, and it likely wont be the last.
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Any move would also reunite Messi with Pep Guardiola. The pair enjoyed incredible success together at Barcelona and City would hope reuniting the duo could lead City to levels of success that the club have yet to reach.
The fact that Barcelona are even entertaining talks must offer encouragement to City. It also shows that any Messi sale is at the very least in the minds of the Barca hierarchy. It’s not totally off the table.
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Of course, Lionel Messi is 29 years old now and set to turn 30 in June. Barcelona may well feel like it’s exactly the right time to cash in on their star man. For City, it’s a chance to get the man that every club in the world has lusted after for around a decade.
But although now could be the right time for Barcelona, is it really the right time for City? The City attack is already full of talent and is not an area that is ageing as much as others. It’s the defense and midfield that City need to focus on the most.
Does a potential Messi signing just put the breaks on all of that? Even approaching 30 years of age? The Argentine still has years left at the top, but how much of his peak is still left in the tank? It’s a bit of an unknown once a player passes 30.
It could be five or six years, but it could also be two or three. Messi made his Barcelona debut as a 17-year-old – 12 years ago. There are a lot of miles on the clock. Lionel Messi is an old 29. Not that he is showing it at present, but eventually, it is going to tell.
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It only takes one long-term injury at this stage in Messi’s career and it can change everything. Clearly, there’s more risk attached at this point for City at the price speculated. But just like Messi’s longevity, whether Barcelona are really willing to sell, or whether they were just testing the market, only time will tell.