Chelsea, Arsenal & Man United dealt Messi blow as City launch stunning bid.
Manchester City are ready to trigger the £200m release clause in Lionel Messi’s contract at Barcelona in a move that would smash the previous world transfer record, according to the Daily Express.
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The Argentine has been linked with a number of top Premier League clubs recently after growing speculation that he is unhappy with life in Spain, and it now looks as though City will make a mammoth offer to lure him away from the Nou Camp.
The likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have also been monitoring Messi’s situation, but the £200m required to activate this clause in his contract may have proven too much for these clubs to pay.
Messi has long been regarded as one of the best player in the world and perhaps of all time, and reached another milestone this weekend as his hat-trick against Sevilla confirmed his place at the top of the all-time La Liga scoring charts.
The 27-year-old has been at Barca for his entire career so far, winning a whole host of major honours, but it may now be that he will head to the Etihad Stadium for a new challenge in English football.