According to reports in The Mirror, Manchester City are putting together a €230 million (£200 million) package to bring Lionel Messi to the Premier League next summer.
 

The journal states that club executives are preparing to tempt the Argentine superstar to The Etihad Stadium by offering him a basic-wage of £500,000 a week. In a deal that would shatter all previous transfer records, the English side are confident they can capitalise on the player’s current uncertainty at remaining at the Catalan club where he has been since 2001.
 

The 29-year-old looks to be stalling on new contract talks at the Camp Nou despite claims by Barcelona that they are not concerned that he still has to commit pen to paper on a new deal. His former mentor, Pep Guardiola, has always maintained that Messi would spend the rest of his career in Spain but this latest delay to tie the player down to a new contract has given him hope that he could be re-united with his protege next summer.

Steve Mitchell @barafundler