Manchester City are ready to renew their interest in signing Lionel Messi after securing the future of manager Pep Guardiola with the club ‘determined’ to land the Barcelona superstar.
Messi has spent his entire career with Barcelona but agitated for a move away during the summer, a turbulent period for the Spanish giants convincing the six-time Ballon d’Or winner his future is away from the Camp Nou.
The Argentina international ultimately stayed with the club to avoid a legal dispute as he sought an exit, though reportedly remains keen to leave with Barca having endured an indifferent start to the campaign under new manager Ronald Koeman.
Messi is out-of-contract next summer and Man City are now preparing to return for the star, with the Mirror reporting the club are ‘determined’ to reunite arguably the greatest player of all time with Guardiola at the Etihad next season.
Guardiola this week ended speculation over his own future by signing a new two-year deal at City, and the board are now prepared to back the Spaniard in his pursuit of a maiden Champions League title with the club.
Guardiola guided Barcelona to Champions League glory in 2009 and 2011, with Messi at the forefront of that success, and it is hoped the 33-year-old can be the ‘final piece in the jigsaw’ to land a first-ever European crown.
Messi’s status as an impending free agent means a deal can be negotiated in January ahead of a potential summer switch to the Premier League.
The forward has won 10 league titles and four Champions League trophies amongst a staggering collection of major honours in Catalonia, becoming the record goalscorer in the history of both Barcelona and Spanish football.
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