Messi to City now 'thinkable'

[john@staustell]

A number of factors and a number of rumours are coming together, so what was unthinkable a short time ago seems to be becoming 'thinkable'.

1) Messi has fallen out big-style with the Vice President Javier Faus- "a businessman who knows nothing about football".
2) He has trouble with tax authorities in Spain
3) Barcelona have trouble with the national court about the alleged dodgy dealings in the Neymar deal
4) They have trouble with the Euro Commission about the tax advantages of their 'membership'
5) The alleged Real/City plot to destabilise Barcelona (reported last summer) may be bearing fruit with Madrid plotting constantly in Spain and Zaba, Yaya and now Aguero chipping in to say how much they would welcome Messi
6) The President, Sandro Rosell, now says 'it would be difficult to sell him in my term' - many questions are being asked about why he no longer says 'impossible'
7) Debt is €331M (down 3) and the business-like attitude of Mr Faus may welcome an injection of cash and reduction in wages
8) Soriano and Begiristain know him well and apparently he gets on well with them. They will know all the buttons to press and dirty tricks needed to make this happen.
9) Guardiola is gone and the slow decline of Barca is underway, murdered by Bayern in the semis last season

I'm waiting for the day when Bryan 'ho-ho-ho City' Swanson has to report on this transfer, 5 years after ridiculing us over the missed bullet, Kaká.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Still unthinkable for me.Just ain't going to happen

[sheblue]

Interesting.

[sheblue]

[center][/center]Interesting.

[s1ty m]

Interesting, but I just can't see it with FFP.

[Dameerto]

I'm in two minds, either we are unsettling Barca ahead of our games (which is the kind of thing I'd be doing if in charge) OR one of our Argies has some inside info that Messi wants out and we're trying our luck. Still not sure which though.

[Dameerto]

Interesting, but I just can't see it with FFP.

He is one of a very small number of players on the planet who could be expected to bring into the club additional revenue almost equal to the cost in fees/wages.

[john@staustell]

Interesting, but I just can't see it with FFP.

He is one of a very small number of players on the planet who could be expected to bring into the club additional revenue almost equal to the cost in fees/wages.

Also if they sell it wont be an impossible fee. €100M would be covered by 2 years of the new TV money rise. Plus commercial deals etc, plus our rapidly rising revenues. I think it would even happen complying with FFP - if it isn't scrapped!

Plus dont forget with amortisation it is €20M per year - peanuts.

[Breks]

Would love to see him in a City shirt. I doubt we ever will though.

[Tesl]

I'm in two minds, either we are unsettling Barca ahead of our games (which is the kind of thing I'd be doing if in charge) OR one of our Argies has some inside info that Messi wants out and we're trying our luck. Still not sure which though.

Hang on, have the club actually said anything?

This just sounds like fans getting excited about random circumstances rather than the club actually doing anything.

Would love this to happen but I just don't see Messi going anywhere. And in the unlikely event that he did he wouldn't be guaranteed to come to City either.

[Mike J]

I reckon he will be there for his career.

Theoretically though, i wonder how much money we would be talking. £140/50 million??

[Ted Hughes]

I'm pretty convinced that City want Messi but we have been used many times by others to gain wage rises, win political battles etc.

If I was Messi though, I would want to test myself in another league before I passed my peak. He has done just about ten years at Barca now, mainly beating or losing to the same team, year in year out. I would want to see what it's like to be challenged by someone different.

[ruralblue]

Think we'll get the bloke have no doubts about it. First 100 million pound player!

First game career ending injury. End of. Typical City! ;-)

[zuricity]

If we ever get Messi, the owner will have to put a special non-partisan layer on the new stadium ends, because this guy will pull all kind of club neutrals wanting to see him. It can only be good business.

[Ted Hughes]

If we ever get Messi, the owner will have to put a special non-partisan layer on the new stadium ends, because this guy will pull all kind of club neutrals wanting to see him. It can only be good business.

Which is one very good reason we are undoubtably (imo) trying to sign him.

[s1ty m]

Also if they sell it wont be an impossible fee. €100M would be covered by 2 years of the new TV money rise. Plus commercial deals etc, plus our rapidly rising revenues. I think it would even happen complying with FFP - if it isn't scrapped! Plus dont forget with amortisation it is €20M per year - peanuts.

Good thinking.

[Slim]

Release clause supposedly €250M.

[Hazy2]

Release clause supposedly €250M.

1st Billion pound deal with wages etc?

[Blue Since 76]

Think we'll get the bloke have no doubts about it. First 100 million pound player!

First game career ending injury. End of. Typical City! ;-)

One more game than we got out of Bojinov then.

[South Stand Balti]

Can he play right back?