Manchester City Transfer News Roundup: Details of Cityzens' contract offer to Lionel Messi emerge, City midfielder confirms exit and more - 31st August 2020

Headlines for Manchester City continue to be dominated by their potential move for arguably the best player in the world - Lionel Messi.

Although it appears that the Cityzens might have to sit on the negotiation table with Barcelona for signing the Argentine, a deal seems a possibility as the transfer window is open for another 40 days.

Here is the latest news from the Etihad Stadium as of 31st August 2020.

Details of Manchester City's contract offer to Lionel Messi

Manchester City have reportedly made a five-year €500 million contract offer to the entourage of Lionel Messi, according to Sport.es. The Barcelona captain looks set to leave his boyhood club after he did not join the club's pre-season training.

Although it remains unclear if Manchester City have to pay a fee to Barcelona for signing Lionel Messi, La Liga, in an official statement, have refuted claims that Messi's release clause has expired. The Argentine international, however, seems interested in reuniting with his former coach Pep Guardiola in Manchester.

👀 Is Lionel Messi hurting his image with the Barca drama?@eastonjamie with the latest from Spain 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/cublRYOaSB

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) August 31, 2020

The deal mentioned in the report suggests that the 33-year-old will have three seasons in the Premier League before switching to the MLS with New York City FC, a club under the City Football Group, for two seasons. Messi's salary for each of these five years would be €50 million, and he will receive a €250 million bonus for joining the MLS side.

Vincent Kompany believes Manchester City could win the Champions League with Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona waves to the crowd.

Former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany believes a player of the calibre of Lionel Messi could win his former side the elusive Champions League trophy. The Cityzens are yet to get past the quarter-final stage of the European competition during Pep Guardiola's time in England.

"It’d be incredible for the club to have a player like him - he could help them take the next step by winning the Champions League. I know Guardiola’s way of thinking, so I can well imagine the two of them will still have a rapport. I can imagine Pep and Messi still have each other's phone numbers. So one can give the other a call. If Messi has decided to leave Barcelona, then I can only respect his decision", said Kompany.

Manchester City midfielder Paolo Fernandes confirms exit

In a post on social media, Manchester City midfielder Paolo Fernandes has confirmed his exit from the Premier League side. The 22-year-old midfielder failed to make a first-team appearance for City after coming through the ranks at the club.

Paolo Fernandes has said his #mcfc goodbyes https://t.co/0NWsPNddph

— Manchester City News (@ManCityMEN) August 30, 2020

"I’ll forever be grateful to Manchester City for the opportunity they gave me when I was only 14-15 years old. I’ve learned a lot and grew as a person. After my last three loans at different clubs and my bad luck with injuries, we think it's time for me to try to get some new fresh air and move on to keep growing," said Fernandes in an Instagram post.