Manchester City are reportedly 'increasingly likely' to miss out on the signing of Lionel Messi this summer, with Barcelona hopeful of persuading the forward to sign a new contract at the Camp Nou.
Messi's future has dominated the headlines over the past year following the star's announcement he wanted to leave Barcelona last summer, a turbulent period for the club both on and off the pitch convincing the six-time Ballon d'Or winner it was time for a new challenge.
The Argentina captain remained with the Catalans for the 2020/21 season but will be free to walk away from the club at the end of the season, Messi having entered the final months of his contract with Europe's elite monitoring his situation.
Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have been strongly linked with a move for the star, though according to Football Insider both sides may be frustrated in their attempts to seal a stunning deal.
Barcelona's newly-elected president, Joan Laporta, had made clear his desire for Messi to stay and the reported 'close' relationship between the pair could lead to a new deal being signed.
Laporta was previously president of the Spanish side between 2003 and 2010, a period in which Messi broke into the senior side and brought huge success, winning the Champions League on two occasions.
Laporta was also the man who handed Pep Guardiola his managerial opportunity at the Camp Nou, with the Spaniard winning a staggering 14 trophies across four seasons before spells at Bayern Munich and now Manchester City.
Guardiola has remained coy in recent months on the prospect of reuniting with Messi in the Premier League, maintaining the public stance that he wishes the forward to finish his career in Barcelona.
That now appears a strong possibility and the report says that unless PSG approach the star with 'monster money' in a bid to tempt him to France, the likelihood is that Messi will pen a new deal to remain with Barcelona ahead of a new era.
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