After Lionel Messi failed to attend pre-season training in a bid to drive home his desire for a transfer, reports said that the Barcelona star is in talks with the owners of Manchester city for a multi-year deal.
A reports in UK-based publication The Daily Record said that Messi is in talks with with City Football Group (CFG), who have offered Messi a lucrative €700 million deal over a period of five years to play for Manchester City and New York City FC.
Messi, who has been associated with the Catalan side for nearly two decades, has reportedly been offered an equity stake in CFG but has reportedly demanded payment instead.
These are the latest reports linking Messi to a club after the star expressed his desire to leave Barcelona following its trophy-less season and 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Messi has heavily been linked with Manchester City given he has played under manager Pep Guardiola at Barcelona.
Meanwhile, La Liga on Sunday released a statement saying Messi’s Barcelona contract was still valid, days after his shock announcement that he wants to leave the club and hours after he failed to attend a pre-season medical.
Messi’s failure to turn up for his medical underlined the 33-year-old’s determination to leave the club he has been with throughout his career.
The six-times world player of the year insists he has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave on a free transfer – a claim disputed by Barcelona and now by La Liga.
