Lionel Messi's future is up in the air and a move to Manchester City looks increasingly likely.
Having officially asked Barcelona for an immediate exit, Messi's father and agent Jorge is set for showdown talks with the Catalan club today.
Some have claimed he has already reached an agreement with City over a big-money, five-year deal worth over £600million.
According to The Athletic, a reunion with Pep Guardiola something of a surprise to some people given the strained relationships he had with the Barcelona dressing room before his stint came to an end.
It is also claimed that previously Messi was "more charmed" by "historic English clubs such as Manchester United " as he was open to a challenge elsewhere.
Instead of heading to Old Trafford, it appears his pathway to the Premier League will be at United's less historic neighbours who are building their own legacy in the modern era.
It is also claimed that Messi spoke privately with his former team-mate, Cesc Fabregas, regularly in the past and grew keen on the idea of playing in London.
“I always had the feeling he wanted an experience abroad,” the source told The Athletic.
“Even more of a surprise than City is that he would go back to working with Pep. The relationship after so many intense seasons at Barcelona with Guardiola was not the best with the players.
“This was not Leo in particular. Leo and Pep did not have direct problems but the last season was not the best and the relationship between players and manager became very tired.
"Go and look at the players Guardiola has signed at Bayern and City. You won’t find many he coached at Barca. The relationship between Guardiola and the players was broken by the end.
"However, time heals. Messi is not stupid. He knows his best moment was with Guardiola on the bench, so maybe he thinks he needs this guy to get the best of him."
