Lionel Messi appears to have edged closer to a sensational transfer to Manchester City amid reports Pep Guardiola is set to extent his stint at the Etihad.
Guardiola has just seven months left on his current deal, and there was fear in the City camp that he would call it a day at the end of the season.
But The Telegraph reports that those close to Guardiola believe he will pen a new deal at the club, and will manage City for longer than he did Barcelona.
The Spaniard has been tight-lipped over his future in recent months, and insists that no talks are underway as he's purely focusing on City's busy schedule.
The news will come as a relief to Citizens supporters who feared this may be Guardiola's final season at the club, and the end of a very successful era.
And may just be the tip of the iceberg where good news is concerned, according to reports from Argentina.
El Chiringuito, via SportWitness, claims that Messi would consider a move to Man City on two conditions; that both Guardiola and Sergio Aguero remain at the Etihad.
Messi played under Guardiola for five seasons at Barcelona, where the pair won La Liga three times and the Champions League twice.
The Argentine is also good friends with his international team-mate Aguero, who would help him settle into the Manchester area.
Given that Guardiola appears set to stay at Man City would appeal to Messi, who tried to leave Barcelona in the summer, and could sway his decision at the end of the season.
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