Manchester City are poised to offer Lionel Messi a three-year deal to play in the Premier League, with an option to move onto their partner club in Major League Soccer, New York City FC.
The City Football Group currently owns several sides around the world including Man City, NYC FC, Melbourne City, Mumbai City, Girona, and Yokohama F. Marinos.
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According to ESPN, Messi would play in England, then the United States before becoming a company ambassador for the City Football Group.
This past Tuesday, the Argentine sent shock waves through European football when he informed Barcelona of his intention to leave the club and requested that he be released from his current contract.
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There are only a few teams around the world who could afford his reported €1m a week salary, such as Inter, Manchester United, Chelsea, PGS, and of course, Man City.
The Premier League runners-up are currently working behind the scenes to see if a move can be made for Messi, in a way which would not breach Financial Fair Play rulings.
Pep Guardiola and the City hierarchy are eager to pull off what would be one of the biggest transfers in the history of the sport, with the City boss reportedly speaking to Messi this week.
For the moment, it is unclear whether any club will have to pay a transfer fee for the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.
His current release clause is €700m but previously had a clause allowing him to leave for free this summer. That clause expired at the end of May, but Messi and his representatives are arguing that it is still valid due to the season being extended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
READ MORE:
Does Messi want to leave Barcelona? No. Could he? Yes...
The terrible 2020 which led to Lionel Messi's Barcelona ultimatum
Lionel Messi 
Barcelona 
Man City 
