Manchester City have no plans to sign out-of-contract Barcelona star Lionel Messi this summer.
That is according to a report from Diario Sport, who say that the Argentine is not on the transfer shortlist of the Premier League leaders.
It is claimed that City had an interest in signing Messi last summer, but that has now been discontinued as they are instead prioritising the arrival of a central striker.
Furthermore, the anticipation at the English club is that the Argentine superstar will renew his deal at the Camp Nou – and only a clear change on that front will alter their approach to the situation.
The 33-year-old is out of contract at the Catalan giants on 30 June and he has theoretically been free to speak to other clubs from January due to the expiration date.
Last summer’s Messi news saw him attempt to leave the club as a free agent but he backed down on his stance as he did not want to go to court to force the move, and he stayed for this campaign – but his future now is dominating Barcelona news.
With just three months remaining on the player’s deal, his future remains deeply uncertain although it appears unlikely that there will be a reunion with Pep Guardiola this summer.
