When reports came out that Lionel Messi could exit from Barcelona this summer, Manchester City emerged as a likely landing spot for the Argentine superstar, chiefly because of Pep Guardiola. However, the Premier League side is said to be doing some careful checks before making the fateful move.
It seemed that City's main concern is to determine beforehand the prudence of acquiring the Barcelona captain, who certainly will not come cheap. The club is undertaking due diligence to ensure that they can afford the purchase of Messi, financially and legally.
The focus is more on the latter as Bleacher Report indicated that City seemed wary of again breaching the Financial Fair Play rules being enforced by UEFA. That is why Guardiola's side is "crunching the numbers," to get a clearer picture of the things to unfold.
The close study should give the City hierarchy solid guidance if bringing Messi to England will amount to a realistic plan, the report added, citing the earlier information shared by ESPN.
It's but expected that City will proceed with care on the matter given that the club narrowly escaped an earlier ban from European competition that the UEFA had handed out. Also, spending big on the six-time Ballon d'Or winner could prove unwise given that Messi is already 33 and will soon approach the final years of his game.
If Guardiola will make a bid on his former player, City will be forced to break the bank as the star's release clause alone will cost around £640 million. Then more money will be needed to pay for Messi's salary that is estimated at no less than £500,000 per week.
So while the prospect of the Catalan coach reuniting with the Argentine seemed exciting, realistic concerns are indicating that time and money are not on the side of the imagined deal.
Barcelona's humiliating defeat in the quarterfinals of the Champions League triggered the speculations that Messi wants out of the Catalan club. While his deal with the La Liga giants runs until next summer, Messi is said to be keen on terminating his contract in search of better results in the last years of his career.
However, Brazil legend Ronaldo is not convinced that Messi will part ways with the Catalan giants anytime soon. He said that the superstar will remain a one-club player through the end of his playing days.
"Messi is a reference for the team and, if I were Barcelona, I wouldn't let him leave in any situation. He has a great and strong relationship with the club and I don't think he'll stop being in love with the team," Metro reported Ronaldo as saying.
As for new Barca boss Ronald Koeman, his stance is simple - Messi is tied with Camp for one more year and the Argentine will remain a Barcelona player to the end of his deal. Besides, Koeman said he intends to keep "the best player in the world."
