Man City attempt to test Barcelona's resolve with £15m bid for Messi in January

Manchester City are yet to give up on their pursuit of Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, despite the summer setback that saw the Argentine continue at the Camp Nou. Messi’s contract runs out in June 2021 but the Etihad-based outfit are not keen on waiting that long. Instead, Man City are prepared to rope in the six-time Ballon d’Or winner with a bid set to be submitted in January.

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Man City to offer £15m for Messi transfer 

According to a report by Daily Star, Man City are set to test Barcelona’s resolve in the January window with a new bid. The report claims that the Premier League giants will offer a meagre £15 million in their pursuit to rope in the Argentine icon.

Man City will look to reap maximum benefits from Messi’s contractual situation at Barcelona. The 33-year-old is in the final year of his Barcelona contract and is yet to extend his stay with the Camp Nou outfit. If he doesn’t agree to a contract extension until January, then he will be legally permitted to talk to potential suitors beginning in January.

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Will Bartomeu's future influence the Messi transfer saga? 

Barcelona, for their part, are reluctant to let go of their all-time leading scorer on a free transfer and could well be compelled to get back on the negotiating table with the Etihad-based outfit. Messi’s exit demands from the club were triggered after Barcelona’s humiliating 2-8 defeat against Bayern Munich.

However, the roots of the crisis are largely related to his tortuous relationship with Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu. The two prominent personalities at the Camp Nou have been at loggerheads since the previous season. Bartomeu’s presidential term ends in March next year but he is likely to see an ouster come into force as early as next month with a vote of confidence motion initiated against him.

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Bartomeu's departure could see Messi continue at Barcelona 

Some earlier reports have also claimed that Messi’s future course of action will completely depend on Bartomeu’s situation at the Camp Nou and a change of guard at the top might well convince the four-time Champions League winner to extend his stay beyond the current deal. Messi is 33 at the moment and will turn 34 by the time the elections are held in May next year. However, the sword of the vote of no confidence is hanging over Bartomeu's neck at the moment, which means we could well see the Messi situation resolved come January.

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Image courtesy: FCBarcelona.com