Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman responds to Lionel Messi comments amid Man City transfer talk

straight to your inboxBarcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta has claimed that Lionel Messi wants to stay at the Nou Camp.Messi rocked the footballing world in the summer when he announced he wanted to leave Barcelona due to complaints over how the club was run, with Manchester City being inserted as the immediate favourites to sign him.After weeks of wild speculation, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner eventually revealed he would be staying at Barca after all, in order to avoid a court

straight to your inboxManchester City are monitoring Sassuolo star Manuel Locatelli for a potential summer move, according to the player's agent.January tends to be a quiet in terms of transfers for City and no new arrivals are expected this month but that hasn't stopped the club from being heavily linked with Locatelli this past week.The 23-year-old has started every game so far this season and has played a key role in Sassuolo's great start to the season, with the provincial club riding high

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola queried how effective the new protocols for Covid-19 can be in preventing contact on the pitch after Manchester City's FA Cup win over Birmingham. With more regular testing introduced recently across clubs following outbreaks including Newcastle, City, and Fulham, the PFA this week reminded all players not to celebrate with teammates at goals or swap shirts at the end of games in a bid to reduce contact and keep infection rates down.

straight to your inboxRoy Keane says Manchester City cannot be written off in the title race.City had something of a slow start to the season by their usual standards and they find themselves seven points off the top ahead of facing Chelsea this afternoon, albeit with two games in hand over most teams around them.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola is in 'constant contact' with Lionel Messi ahead of a potential transfer in 2021, according to reports.Messi shocked the world last summer when he declared his desire to leave Barcelona and City were immediately installed as the favourites to sign him.However, after two weeks of wild speculation, Messi announced he would stay in Catalonia to avoid a legal battle with the club over a clause in his contract.The Argentine's relationship with the hierarchy at the

straight to your inbox every day for free Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp downplayed the suggestion that any team is already involved in a Premier League title race. The German saw his side held to a goalless draw by Newcastle on Wednesday night, just 24 hours after Manchester United struck late to defeat Wolves.

straight to your inboxBarcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta is confident Lionel Messi will remain at the club beyond next summer despite interest from Manchester City.Messi dropped a bombshell in the summer by revealing he was seriously unhappy at the club, submitting a transfer request in the hope the club would allow him to leave for nothing.Barcelona insisted the release clause that would see Messi depart on a free had expired and the Argentine opted against fighting his current

straight to your inboxManchester City's Premier League rivals will be watching anxiously as news of the Covid-19 outbreak at the club unfolds.City 's scheduled fixture against Everton at Goodison Park was postponed on Monday after more coronavirus cases were identified.

straight to your inboxLionel Messi has revealed he is in regular contact with Pep Guardiola - but insists they do not talk about a possible transfer away from Barcelona.Messi and Guardiola enjoyed great success while working together in Catalonia and City view themselves as favourites to sign him were Messi to end his stay with the club. "I don't know how long my last chat with Pep Guardiola was, but we do talk," Messi told La Sexta.

straight to your inboxWith Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi's contract expiring at the end of the season, the Argentine can open talks with interested parties in January, with Manchester City one of the clubs linked with signing the legendary forward.Ahead of January, former City defender Pablo Zabaleta is under no illusions that City would be a great club for Messi to join."Manchester City is the best place for Messi," Zabaleta told Spanish media outlet Marca.

straight to your inboxLionel Messi praised the impact Pep Guardiola has had on his career, as the Barcelona star continues to be linked with a summer exit from the Nou Camp.Messi wanted to leave Barca last summer, but opted to stay when it became clear he would have to go through the courts with the club to get his way.