It has been reported by English paper 'The Sun' today that Lionel Messi and his representatives have opened up discussions with Manchester City which could see the 28-year-old sign a deal with around £40million a year, making him the highest paid player in footballing history.
After over 11 years with the Catalan giants, fresh hope has been given by the club that Messi could be willing to terminate his contract early. The striker, who still has three years left on his current contract, has a £250 buy-out clause but it has been reported the Spanish Giants would be willing to accept less.
The four-time Ballon d’Ore winner’s move to the Premier League would be funded by a new TV deal that begins next season, which will see City earn an extra £150m per season.
With reports last night that Pep Guardiola is in contract talks with the blues, a switch could be more feasible as it’s no secret that the incredible relationship between the striker and manager provided unprecedented success.
The relationship between City’s director of football Txiki Beguiristain and Messi is also said to be strong due to their time together at Barcelona. Such a huge deal would take months to organize and plan, so City will have a tough time persuading Messi that his future lies at the Etihad.