There is talk of a deal that would surely top the lot were it to ever materialise; Lionel Messi to City.
Ian Herbert of The Independent suggests that if Messi ever leaves Barcelona, the Blue side of Manchester would be first on his list.
“Manchester City believe they will be Lionel Messi’s first choice if he decides to leave Barcelona, with the presence of Pep Guardiola among the reasons why they would be comfortably ahead of any other club in Europe,” pens the paper’s chief sports writer.
He goes on to say that City are realistic over a potential deal and that they “...are not actively awaiting a change of heart. Instead, they are looking for the next player of his calibre – with an acceptance that the number of individuals capable of consistently dictating the outcome of a match at the highest level is perhaps 10 across the globe.”
Much of the same from The Guardian who believe that the “imminent arrival of their (City) new manager will give them the upper hand should Lionel Messi leave Barcelona.”
The Guardian’s Jamie Jackson also mentions a host of other Barcelona players that could be interested in a move to the Etihad. “Sergio Busquets, the right-back Dani Alves and the forward Neymar, who considered an approach from Manchester United last summer.”
The rest of the UK media are focusing on the fact that City will play United on their pre-season tour in Beijing at the world-famous Bird’s Nest Stadium. The BBC, Manchester Evening News and a host of others are watching closely as the two footballing giants edge closer to the end of the Premier League season in anticipation for pre-season tour.
The game will take place at the iconic Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing on 25 July as part of the International Champions Cup China, before the Blues play Borussia Dortmund on 28 July in booming technology hub Shenzhen.
City continue to grow their profile in China through a number of initiatives. The Club recently announced a partnership with a China Media Capital-led consortium, which owns a minority shareholding in the Club’s parent company, City Football Group.
