Manchester City prepare huge January bid for Messi
According to 'AS', Manchester City are ready to take advantage of Lionel Messi's contract stand-off at Barcelona and offer a whopping £358m for the Argentinian superstar.
Has Messi signed a new contract or not? Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu announced in September that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is already playing under the terms of his new deal, but the mentioned Spanish publication claims there are still a number of loose ends to tie up.
Messi's current Nou Camp deal is set to expire at the end of the season, meaning he can begin negotiating with other clubs in the new year.
The Madrid-based newspaper say Pep Guardiola's side are ready to make a January move for the 30-year-old and are hoping the uncertainty surrounding his future will be enough to convince him to make the switch to the Etihad.
City have reportedly already held 'serious conversations' with Messi's inner circle.
Bartomeu's exact words earlier this summer were: 'Everything is signed. There is no need to worry'. Will they come back to haunt him?