In a recent report, the Guardian revealed that Manchester City believe they have a realistic shot of pulling off a deal for Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi. Barca have recently confirmed to The Associated Press that Messi sent documents to the club expressing his desire to seal a move away from the Nou Camp this summer. However, his contract with the Catalans runs out at the end of next season and contains a massive €700m release clause which could make him nearly impossible to sign for any top club including Man City. At the same time, there might be a legal battle brewing off the field between the Argentine superstar and Barca over a clause in the player’s contract that will allow him to terminate his deal unilaterally and leave for free at the end of the campaign (via Goal.com).
Messi’s Incredible Yet Unsuccessful Season With Barca
On a personal front, Messi experienced another sensational campaign at Catalonia as he banged in 31 goals and provided 26 assists in 44 matches for the Spanish giants across all competitions. The Rosario-born winger managed to maintain a ridiculous run of consistency despite turning 33 earlier this summer. Offensively, Messi averaged 4.6 shots, 2.6 key passes and 5.8 dribbles per game in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League while completing 82.4% of his attempted passes in both those competitions (stats via whoscored).
Even though the 33-year-old was in fine form last season, yet he failed to win a trophy with his boyhood club. To make his suffering worse, the newly-crowned European champions, Bayern Munich gave Messi and company an 8-2 hiding when the two teams met in the Champions League quarterfinals earlier this month. Hence, it is no surprise that the Argentine international is looking for a way out of the club after repeatedly having disagreements with the club’s boardroom over how things are being run at the Nou Camp in recent years.
What Does The Argentine Maestro Offer On The Pitch?
Messi is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever grace the football pitch and has done remarkably well to maintain his high standards this late in his playing career. He can create chances out of nothing and can be a constant menace for the opposition defenders as he can use his pace, close control and dribbling ability to cause all sorts of problems in the final third. The Argentine wing wizard is still a consistent goal-scorer and prolific assist-maker at the highest level, so he will be a dream signing for any top side in Europe.
Could Man City Realistically Pull Off A Deal To Sign Messi This Summer?
If Barca can win the legal battle, then Messi’s €700m exit clause will make him an unrealistic target for Man City this summer. However, if the Argentine is allowed to leave for free, then Pep Guardiola’s side has got as good of a chance as any other top contender for his signature in this off-season.
Guardiola has previously worked with Messi, and the pair won two UEFA Champions League titles together as well. So it makes sense for the Barca superstar to link up with his old manager and his international teammates Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Otamendi at the Etihad Stadium before the transfer window slams shut in October.
Messi will immediately tip the scales in Man City’s favour in the Premier League title race next season. Furthermore, he could potentially help the Mancunian club secure their first-ever Champions League trophy if Guardiola can find a way to land him in the coming months. Thus, the League Cup champions should make Messi a high priority target if he is available for free ahead of the new season.
