What's the story?
After the 4-0 humbling at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona are set to be shocked again with rumours emerging that Lionel Messi will be a £100 million target for Manchester City in the summer.
The Mirror reports that the club hierarchy at Manchester feel that this is the perfect time to try and lure the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to the Etihad after failing on a number of previous occasions.
In case you didn't know...
Messi has a contract with the Catalans till 2018 but the talks for a new deal may reach a crisis point soon as the club is finding it difficult to stay within the boundaries of La Liga's salary structure. Messi is earning £20 million per year after tax in his current deal but wants to increase that figure in his next extension.
Also Read: Reports: Lionel Messi phoned Pep Guardiola and asked him to return to Barcelona
The recent contract extensions for Luis Suarez and Neymar have made it difficult for Barcelona to offer a humongous wage which Messi is rightfully demanding as La Liga allows 70% of their total income to be spent on wages.
The heart of the matter
Manchester City have made the Argentine their number one summer target with the club confident of tasting success for their pursuits with a £100 million bid. Jorge Messi, the Argentine’s father who also acts as his agent recently revealed that no talks have taken place between Barcelona and the player to sign a new deal at Camp Nou - which would be his eighth contract with the club.
Manchester City were reportedly willing to offer £500,000 per week to Lionel Messi back in November which is seen as the current going rate for a player of Messi’s quality.
What's next?
Luis Enrique's future at Barcelona seems to be in its final few months with recent reports developing that Messi had wished for a return of Pep Guardiola to his former club next season.
Also Read: Lionel Messi exit the aftermath of Barcelona embarrassment
But the current Manchester City manager’s return to Nou Camp is out of the question as Guardiola has reaffirmed his stance of being committed to the Citizens for the long run. This has sent a clear message to Lionel Messi that a reunion between the two will happen only at the Etihad.
Sportskeeda's Take
Barcelona’s biggest task is to try and convince Messi to sign a contract extension and end all speculation. But reports suggest that the humiliating defeat against PSG was the last straw in Messi’s patience.
£100 million seems like a bargain for the Argentine, who is still at the top of the game, and with Guardiola at the helm at Manchester City, a move looks more than likely!
