Report: Man City pull out of the race to sign Lionel Messi

Manchester City have given up on signing Lionel Messi, according to a new report.

Many fans will remember the crazy two-week period towards the end of August 2020 as City were reportedly in talks to sign Messi with the Argentine star pushing for a move away from Barcelona.

However, the six-times world player of the year eventually decided to stay in Spain for the coming season, the last on his current deal, as he did not want to face a legal battle with the club he joined as a teenager and with whom he has amassed more than 30 major trophies.

Messi is now nearing the end of his current Barcelona contract and would be able to leave the club as a free agent in June if it expires without being renewed.

According to Sport, Manchester City have decided against making an offer to Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi this summer when the 33-year-old Messi is out of contract.

The report claims that City believe Messi will sign on again at Barcelona now that Joan Laporta is once again club president after winning the election earlier this month, so they are looking elsewhere for a forward.

With Aguero leaving, City will look to bring in another top-calibre striker and are believed to be turning their attention towards Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Braut Haaland, the son of former City player Alf Haaland, Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur and former Manchester United and current Inter striker Romelu Lukaku.

While it’s a lot more likely that Messi will remain at Barcelona beyond this season, it’s certainly not a foregone conclusion.