Five-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner, Lionel Messi, might don the blue of Manchester City as the Citizens are readying a mammoth bid to prise him away from Barcelona by the order of Pep Guardiola.
Messi flourished under Guardiola's reign at Barcelona winning the UEFA Champions League twice and the La Liga thrice. The chance to work again with the Spaniard is said to have tempted Messi into considering his future at the Catalan club.
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The Argentine's contract runs out at 2018 and while he's often admitted he's never leaving Barcelona, the chance to work with one of his favourite managers - and the chance to work and shine in a competitive league such as the Premier League - could see him break the promise.
Manchester City officials admitted that a bunch of players have contacted the club through their agents asking for a chance to sign given they want to work with Pep Guardiola once he takes over in July later this year.
Yet the Spaniard has – reportedly – already told his new club who he wants from where with Borussia Dortmund's Ilkay Gundagon, Atletic Bilbao's Aymeric Laporte, Everton's John Stones, Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Real Madrid's Toni Kroos at the top of his list. A host of Barcelona stars - excluding Messi - are also being considered.
While these kind of players may be incoming, a number of players leaving the club has also reportedly been confirmed on the inside with the likes of Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, Fernando and Gael Clichy all facing summer exits. The Belgian captain has had a torrid season continuously interrupted with injuries and poor form while Toure is simply not the player he used to be.
It is still unclear whether Messi would consider switching the Camp Nou for the Etihad but the lure of working with Pep could sway anyone's mind.
