Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta gives verdict on Lionel Messi future amid Man City interest

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 inboxHard work is the key to Manchester City's newest defensive partnership, John Stones says.Stones has struck up a surprising partnership with summer signing Ruben Dias, establishing himself as first choice in Pep Guardiola's defence ahead of Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Ake and Fernandinho. The pair were superb in City's Carabao Cup semi-final win at Manchester United on Wednesday, with Stones scoring the first goal in a 2-0 win and Dias earning the Man of the Match award.

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 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 inboxRonald Koeman has responded to continued speculation surrounding the future of Barcelona star Lionel Messi.Messi has been linked with a move away from the Nou Camp, with Manchester City touted as a possible destination for the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

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.