Lionel Messi's Barcelona Future Takes A 'Fresh Twist' Amid PSG And Manchester City Interest

Lionel Messi has reportedly warmed to the idea of staying at Barcelona amid intense transfer speculation linking him with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City.

Relationships between the 33-year-old Argentine superstar and Barcelona soured last summer as Messi wanted to leave the Camp Nou.

Messi will be out of contract in the summer and his would-be free agent status would make him a prized acquisition for PSG or City.

Spanish newspaper Marca now reports a 'fresh twist' in the Messi saga as the Barcelona captain could be convinced to remain at the Camp Nou.

According to the publication, a key factor in the six-time Ballon d'Or winner's decision to stay would be dependent on Barcelona's upcoming presidential elections.

Messi was involved in a heated standoff with former Barcelona club president Josep Maria Bartomeu over his disputed release clause.

Bartomeu has since resigned as Barcelona president, with Joan Laporta, Victor Font and Toni Freixa all vying to succeed him in the March election.

Marca claims that Messi's 'main issue' was with Bartomeu, but a new president could sign up the Barcelona talisman to a new deal.

The newspaper added that the Argentina captain isn't motivated by money as an important factor in penning a new Barcelona deal.

And it is reported that Messi hasn't been thrilled by PSG's not-so-subtle interest in signing him this summer.

Brazil legend Rivaldo has insisted that City would be the "favourite to win any competition" if Messi reunited with Pep Guardiola in the summer.

The 48-year-old former Barcelona star told Betfair: "Pep Guardiola has one of the best squads in Europe and Manchester City are in incredible form right now after 19 consecutive wins, jumping to a 10-point lead in the league and taking a solid step forward in Europe this week.

"City are a very rich club and that allows them to sign the best players in the world. For that reason, they would be a very solid destination for Lionel Messi if he leaves Barcelona.

"Mix the great moment of form they're going through with the fact that Guardiola has already coached Messi with huge success and it's clear that the English club would become even stronger with the Argentinian star on their ranks.

"In fact, with Messi, they would be the favourite to win any competition."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Spain, La Liga

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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