3 reasons why Lionel Messi joining Manchester City would make sense

It may be hard to believe at first, but there is a possibility that Lionel Messi could join Manchester City for free this summer. It has been reported by the English outlet Express that City are hopeful are being the club Messi agrees his next contract with.

Whether or not you believe it, it would be pretty weird to see Messi rep the City shirt, wouldn't it? However, upon further consideration, the move starts to make sense.

Obviously, Lionel Messi has only ever played for two clubs in his lifetime; Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He has been successful at club level but not so much at the international level (in terms of trophies, of course).

He is regarded as the best player of all time and he is certainly Barcelona's greatest player of all time. Ageing at 32, he is still playing at the highest level and he even captains his side to this day. He has been a member of the Barcelona first team for the last sixteen years and in that time, he has scored an astonishing 433 league goals.

With all this in mind, it seems difficult to believe that Messi will retire anywhere other than Barca. However, here are 3 reasons why Man City would be the next most suitable option...

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#1 Reuniting with Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has won two Premier League titles at Manchester City.

One of Barcelona's most successful managers in recent history is Pep Guardiola, who is the current manager of Manchester City. Having led the Cityzens to two consecutive Premier League trophies and an FA Cup, he could easily become the most successful Manchester City manager of all time.

Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi spent four successful seasons together at Barcelona. With Lionel Messi at his disposal, even if it is only for a few seasons, he would almost certainly achieve this. It's also an interesting time for the Spaniard since he is rumoured with a move away from the club, so from City's perspective, signing Messi could tempt Guardiola to remain as City manager. It would be enough to persuade anyone.

#2 It's about time him and Aguero won silverware together

Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero have quite the partnership.

When you think of strike partnerships, not many come with as much versatility and sheer talent as the Argentina frontline. Consisting of Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi, it is a strike force to be feared.

So much so, it almost seems unjust that Argentina have not won an international trophy while the two of them have been repping the country. They have come annoyingly close on a few occasions, including most notably in the World Cup against Germany in 2014. However, as a collective duo, they remain trophyless.

Should Lionel Messi sign for Manchester City, he will be able to work with Sergio Aguero at club level as well. It's also worth noting that Messi and Nicolas Otamendi have worked together on several occasions, so he certainly has peers in this City side.

It still seems like a long shot, but the thought of Messi and Aguero tearing up the Premier League is the stuff of dreams.

#3 Manchester City need to win the Champions League

Lionel Messi has had many golden Champions League moments.

There is no denying that Manchester City have turned into one of Europe's best sides. However, before they can claim 'super club' level, they must first win the prestigious Champions League trophy. They have won all there is to win in England within the last few seasons, but the European honour is one which has eluded them throughout their entire history.

Lionel Messi, on the other hand, has his fair share. Four, to be exact. That said, should he join them in the summer, Messi would bring his fair share of Champions League knowledge to the Etihad Stadium which would inspire his teammates to go out and mount a serious challenge for the honour.

Messi has produced some of the best moments in the competition throughout his career. Let's not forget, as a youngster, he made his Barcelona debut against José Mourinho's Porto from the bench and since then, history has been in the making.

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