Man City evening headlines as Lionel Messi sent transfer message, Guardiola innovation praised

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.

straight to your inboxMan City have been handed a potential blow in their pursuit of Lionel Messi.With the legendary forward out of contract at Barcelona at the end of the season, City have been strongly linked with a potential move for him on a free transfer.City had tried to launch a bid to reunite Messi with manager Pep Guardiola over the summer when the Argentine handed in a transfer request at Barca, only for him to eventually stay at Barca.With Barca currently holding presidential

straight to your inboxJoan Laporta has insisted Lionel Messi wants to stay at Barcelona, despite the president of the club's management committee admitting the Argentine should have been sold in the summer.Laporta is running to become Barca president again, having previously held the position between 2003 and 2010, appointing Pep Guardiola as manager and overseeing Messi's rise to become one of the greatest players of all time in one of the most successful periods of the club's history.With

straight to your inboxGerard Pique has urged Lionel Messi to stay at Barcelona, insisting that the club will do everything it can to convince the superstar attacker to sign a new contract.The 33-year-old is out of contract in the summer and can discuss terms of a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from January.He has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City and the Blues believe they would be at the front of the queue to land him were he to leave Catalonia.

straight to your inboxLa Liga president Javier Tebas admits the Spanish league are working on provisional plans to account for any drop in revenue if Lionel Messi leaves Barcelona.Messi came close to ending his long association with Barcelona in the summer, but decided to stay to avoid a costly legal battle with the club he loves. Manchester City were strongly linked with Messi's signature at the time and view themselves as front-runners to land the Argentine were he to leave Catalonia.

straight to your inboxRonald Koeman has explained the absence of Barcelona star Lionel Messi for the Spanish side's Champions League clash at Dynamo Kyiv tomorrow night.Messi to City stories have been rife since this summer after the Barcelona star requested to leave the Camp Nou.

straight to your inboxHere are the Manchester City evening headlines for Friday, November 20.Pep Guardiola's 'addictive' approach and winning style was enough to convince Manchester City to agree a new two-year contract for the manager. That is according to City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain, who predicted that the future is bright with Guardiola at the helm until 2023.

straight to your inbox Pep Guardiola wants Lionel Messi to finish his career in Barcelona, despite speculation linking Manchester City with a fresh move for the Argentine playmaker.

straight to your inboxWith the news that Pep Guardiola is extending his stay as Manchester City manager, the Blues are once again being linked with Lionel Messi.City fans were hopeful of completing a sensational move for Messi over a two-week period in the summer when he announced his intention to leave Barcelona, but the Argentine ultimately opted to stay to avoid a costly legal battle over his contract.