Lionel Messi to Man City in January tipped as Barcelona told they've made a costly mistake with handling of superstar
By Josh Fordham
Updated: 18th November 2020, 9:22 am
Barcelona should have cashed in on Lionel Messi last summer and a move to Man City seems inevitable, talkSPORT has been told.
Messi created shockwaves around the football world when he formally requested to leave the Spanish club over the summer.
Messi does not appear to be enjoying his time at Barcelona this season
There was a clause in his Barcelona contract that allowed him to leave on a free transfer, but the club insisted it had lapsed after the coronavirus pandemic extended the campaign beyond May.
Following the dispute over the contract, the Argentina forward reluctantly stayed for the 2020/21 season.
His contract will be up in the summer, though, and there is a good chance he will be plying his trade someone else next season.
Former Rangers striker and manager Ally McCoist believes they should have just sold him then and has tipped a deal to be agreed with City – managed by his former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola – in January.
Messi wanted to leave Barca over the summer
"I think, from where I'm sitting, they made a mistake because they should have sold Messi," McCoist told talkSPORT Breakfast.
"I bet you Barcelona are cursing themselves because it's cost them a fortune.
"They will have got a fortune from Messi five months ago that they aren't going to get in three months and they'll get a fraction of it.
"In terms of their transfer policy they shot themselves in the foot. If Messi wants to leave and [Pep] Guardiola wants him to come the contact will have been made.
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"If Messi wants to come, Messi will says to Guardiola 'right I'm coming, regardless of what happens. If you put in a bid of £30million and they knock it back, I'm just going to dig my heels in and I'll see you in the summer for nothing'.
"That isn't going to happen because Barcelona can't afford it to happen.
"If there is a deal to be done (in January) it will be done."
Ally McCoist