Manchester City 'in pole position to sign Lionel Messi'

Manchester City are reportedly confident that they are 'in pole position' to sign Lionel Messi, should the Argentine seek a move away from Barcelona this summer.

The 32-year-old's existing deal at Camp Nou is due to expire next June, and there was speculation surrounding his future even before Barca's shock 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Friday night.

Messi is no longer able to leave Camp Nou on a free transfer this summer, and the Argentine's release clause in his current deal is believed to stand in excess of £600m.

However, according to The Mirror, the Spanish giants could be forced to sacrifice Messi in order to rebuild the squad, which has struggled during the 2019-20 campaign.

The report claims that City believe that they are at the head of the queue for the South American and would be prepared to pay him 'whatever it takes' to secure his signature.

Messi enjoyed another productive season despite the team's struggles, scoring 31 times and registering 26 assists in 44 appearances in all competitions.

Inter Milan have also recently been credited with an interest in the experienced attacker.