Lionel Messi wants to sign a new Barcelona deal says presidential candidate amid Man City links

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 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.

straight to your inboxManchester City's 2020 hasn't quite gone to plan after they conceded the Premier League title to Liverpool and did not venture as far in the Champions League as they would have liked.While this term has begun with City navigating their way through the group stages once again, Pep Guardiola's side are already adrift of Liverpool in the hunt for the title.A major move in the summer to the future saw Guardiola put pen to a new deal at the Etihad Stadium and significant

straight to your inboxManchester City have a 'genuine' belief that Lionel Messi will leave Barcelona this summer, reports say.City are in a position to sign Messi if he becomes available, with the Argentine able to leave Barcelona at the end of the season. He wanted to leave this year, but decided to stay for another season to avoid a lengthy legal battle.Since then, Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has stood down, with elections taking place in January to choose a replacement.

straight to your inboxOne of the frontrunners to become Barcelona's new president says he cannot imagine Lionel Messi playing for Manchester City.Messi came close to leaving Barcelona in the summer after falling out with the club's hierarchy, who have since all resigned, prompting a new presidential election in January. Messi opted to stay at the Nou Camp to avoid a costly legal battle to end his contract, with City his most likely destination.

straight to your inboxPablo Zabaleta has urged Lionel Messi to sign for Manchester City next summer.Messi has spent his entire senior career at Barcelona but is now being tipped for a move away from the Nou Camp.City have been linked with the 33-year-old Argentina superstar, who is in the final year of his current contract.Messi has previously played under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona - and his former international team-mate Zabaleta would love to see the pair reunited in Manchester."Manchester

straight to your inboxLionel Messi has not held talks with any potential suitors about a transfer despite speculation over his future at Barcelona, according to reports.Manchester City have been heavily linked with a move for the Argentinian star, who is unhappy at the Nou Camp and tried to leave last summer. Messi's current deal expires in the summer, meaning he can speak to other clubs about a pre-contract agreement from January 1.