Manchester City are ready to pounce for Barcelona captain Lionel Messi in January – and they won’t have to spend a penny to land him.
That’s according to Marca, which are reporting the Catalan club, due to financial problems, have begun negotiations with senior players about salary cuts. And if this happens, local laws will allow players to terminate agreements unilaterally. It is possible that Messi, 33, will also use this option.
In August, Messi made a transfer request. The forward sent a fax about his intention to terminate his contract with the club.
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Messi missed the team’s first preseason training session, but then decided to stay after the board refused to consider negotiating a sale price. Interested clubs, including City, were referred to his €700m buyout clause.
Along with City, Inter Milan will be watching developments closely.