Manchester City rule out Lionel Messi move

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Manchester City will not be moving to sign Lionel Messi when his contract at Barcelona expires at the end of this season, according to La Liga TV presenter Semra Hunter.

Messi was at the centre of the transfer saga which unquestionably dominated the 2020 summer transfer window. He had decided to leave the club amid the many turmoils which they’re still going through, and he asked to leave as a free agent calling upon an alleged clause in his contract which allowed him to do so at the end of each season.

However, at Barcelona they saw the matter differently. They were adamant that the clause in question had expired, and pointed to his general buyout clause of a whopping €700 million, making it very clear they would prevent his departure by any means necessary. The issue seemed set to be resolved in court, but Messi eventually decided against such action against the club where he has spent his entire career so far, and stayed put.

But his contract completely expires at the end of 2020/21, and unless he signs a new one between now and then, he will certainly be able to leave without Barcelona receiving a dime.

The 33-year-old superstar has been heavily linked with Manchester City, where he would again be playing under Pep Guardiola, but Guardiola himself said more than once that he would love to see his former charge end his career at the Camp Nou.

And now, Hunter told Sky Sports that she has it from ‘someone close to the situation’ that City have ruled the possibility of signing Messi out completely, due to his age and the vast financial implications of such a transfer, regardless of nothing being paid to Barcelona.