Spanish newspaper El Mundo has claimed that Lionel Messi seriously considered leaving Barcelona for Manchester City late last year, after Pep Guardiola made a move to attract the Argentinian star at City's president Khaldoon Al Mubarak's bidding.
It is reported that a move from Camp Nou to the Etihad Stadium would have netted Messi 250 million euros after tax over five years, with City paying the player's release fee of 250 million euros on top of that.
According to the report, the talks took place when the Catalan political crisis was at its peak and an independent Catalonia threatened to leave Barça out of the Spanish Liga. Talks allegedly took place between City CEO - and former Barça vice-president - Ferrán Soriano and Messi's father and agent, Jorge, who was to be paid an additional net sum of 50 million euros if he was able to convince his son to make the move to Manchester. City's total offer, including taxes, would have amounted to 755 million euros.
Although the negotiations, that lasted almost a year, ultimately came to nothing, the 31-year-old's fears over the possibility of Catalan independence have led him to include a clause in his current contract allowing him to leave on a free transfer if the region secedes from Spain and Barça are left outside of any of Europe's major leagues.
Finally, Messi agreed a new, four-year deal with Barcelona in November 2017, one that sees the star pocket an improved annual wage of 35 million euros net and includes an increased, 700-million-euro release clause.
