Barcelona want Lionel Messi to stay but for the Argentine all roads lead to Manchester
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Reports suggest that Messi has already spoken to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola while showing his interest in working with him again. Other reports suggest that Man City are preparing a contract for Messi which will bring him to the Etihad Stadium.
Lionel Messi on Tuesday dropped a bombshell after officially asking Barcelona to allow him to leave after spending more than two decades at the Catalan club. Messi, who has been upset over Barca board, has made up his mind that his glorious chapter with the club has come to an end.
While Barcelona on Wednesday made it clear that they want to keep the ‘best player in the world’ and start a fresh sporting chapter, Messi seems to be final in his decision to leave the club. Barcelona’s technical director Ramon Planes, after unveiling new signing Trincao on Wednesday, said that the club do not contemplate any sort of exit for Messi as they want him to stay while adding he is convinced that Barcelona’s future will be full of positivity.
"We do not contemplate any kind of exiting by Leo at the contractual level, because what we want is for him to stay here. I think that Leo knows he has enormous respect because we are talking about the best player in the world, the best player in history. And I'm absolutely convinced the upcoming future will be positive. We have to be optimistic and talk about the future, about young players, very talented players and players with a lot of experience like Leo who are in the team and have won great things. Together we have to build the Barça we all want,” Planes told the media.
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However, reports suggest that Messi has already spoken to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola while showing his interest in working with him again. Other reports suggest that Man City are preparing a contract for Messi which will bring him to the Etihad Stadium.
The likes of Guardiola, Txiki Begiristain, Ferran Soriano and other staff members know Messi in and out as they have worked together in Barcelona earlier. And that relationship could lure Messi away from the Spanish giants. Sergio Aguero, Man City record goal-scorer, is Messi’s best friend and have shared the Argentina jersey over the years.
But the question remains, will Messi leave Barcelona? If he does, then all road lead to Manchester.