Manchester City have denied making a €150m bid to sign 21-year-old Barcelona playmaker Lionel Messi.
Reports in Spain on Wednesday claimed that the Premier League club’s bid included personal terms that would see Messi paid €10m a year.
However, City issued a statement denying that an approach for Messi had been made.
”Manchester City Football Club note with interest the reports circulating in the Spanish media that the club has made an offer to the Barcelona player Lionel Messi and that he has turned down the chance to join the club,” the statement said.
”While acknowledging that Lionel Messi is a world-class player of the highest calibre, Manchester City would like to make it clear that the club has at no time made an approach to Mr Messi or his representatives.”
Earlier this month, City manager Mark Hughes hit out at the number of reports linking the club with players around the world – a consequence of the Abu Dhabi United Group’s takeover last summer which installed City as the richest club in the world.
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