Manchester City on alert for Lionel Messi as Barcelona presidential candidate says star...

[ASFN Admin]

Manchester City have been given the most encouragement yet in their pursuit of Lionel Messi with one of Barcelona’s presidential candidates claiming the Argentina forward is “most likely” to leave the club in the summer. City believe they would be at the front of the queue to sign Messi if the six-time World Player of the Year decides to quit Barcelona at the end of the season when his contract expires, although Mauricio Pochettino has refused to rule out Paris Saint-Germain moving for the 33-year-old. Messi has said he will delay a decision on his future until the end of the season, despite wanting to quit Barcelona last summer when Josep Maria Bartomeu was still president and admitting the club will struggle to compete for the biggest trophies over the next couple of years given their financial troubles. Yet Agusti Benedito – one of the candidates bidding to become Bartomeu’s successor as president in the club elections on Jan 24 – does not believe the chances of keeping Messi are good and fears he will depart this summer. “Keeping Messi would be the best news for the club but I am not very optimistic,” Benedito told ESPN. “Given the club's situation, I think it’s really important that he stays at Barca, with the understanding that he understands the next two years we have in front us [could be difficult]. “He’s been here for 20 years – he’s a Barcelona fan and I think he’s sensitive to the situation. “He has given us so much in the same way that Barcelona have given him a lot and it’s time for us all to roll up our sleeves. “I would have liked him to say in his interview the other week that his desire is to stay at the club, but he didn’t and now we have to wait and see. The truth is I am pessimistic. “Remember that in August he said he wanted to leave after 20 years and now he’s still not cleared up what he wants to do. The most likely outcome I see is that he leaves us in the summer.” City are thought to be busy pulling together a plan to maximise the benefits of signing Messi, that could involve him playing with the club in the Premier League for a number of years and then potentially finishing his career with one of their sister clubs in the City Football Group stable. Messi has spoken of his desire to play in Major League Soccer in the US one day and City’s Abu Dhabi owners own MLS franchise New York City FC.

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