Manchester City are putting together an eye-watering £200million deal to bring Lionel Messi to the Premier League, according to reports in the Sunday papers.
Simon Mullock, the Sunday Mirror's Manchester man, says City are plotting a £100million bid - and will pay the Argentina superstar a staggering £500,000 a week.
According to Mullock, City reckon they are in with a chance of prising Messi away from Barcelona after reports in Spanish sports paper Marca that he is not going to sign the new contract currently on offer at the Nou Camp.
That would put Barcelona in a position of having to sell him next summer, or risk losing the four-time Ballon d'Or winner for nothing the following year.
They believe they are in pole position to nab the 29-year-old since they appointed Messi's former Barca manager Pep Guardiola in the summer after a long courtship.
City's chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain are also ex-Barca men.
So, will we finally get an answer to the question that has plagued football fans for years - can he really cut it on a cold night at the Britannia Stadium?
What do you think, Andy?
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