Man City still tracking Lionel Messi, planning different transfer approach to PSG

Premier League giants Man City have reportedly still not given up in their pursuit of signing Barcelona ace Lionel Messi on a free transfer in the summer, despite PSG's interest in the star forward. Messi's contract with Barcelona expires in the summer and the 33-year-old has been free to negotiate with other clubs since January 1. The Cityzens were leading the chase for the Argentine last summer when Messi handed in his transfer request but the Argentine eventually stayed put at the Camp Nou while the Premier League side began to maintain a low profile in recent months.

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Messi to PSG? France Football boldly photoshop Messi's image in PSG shirt

Earlier on Monday, France Football fuelled speculation that Messi is on the verge of joining PSG as they photoshopped Messi wearing a PSG jersey on the front page of their latest publication. The report also claimed that Messi's former Barcelona teammate Neymar will reportedly convince the four-time UCL champion to sign for the Parisians. Last week, Messi's international teammate Angel Di Maria also publicly stated that there was a big chance of PSG signing Messi in the summer.  

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The French giants are also one of the few clubs in the world that can afford to pay Messi's high wages. However, the reigning Ligue 1 champions have been 'making a lot of noise' over Messi in comparison to Man City, who are opting to act in a different manner over potentially luring Messi to the Premier League.

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Lionel Messi transfer news: Man City planning a different approach to sign Barcelona captain?

According to reports from ESPN, Man City are said to be taking a different approach to Paris Saint-Germain as they attempt to woo Lionel Messi to the Premier League. It is believed that City are going about their business quietly, with a number of the club's staff members in regular contact with Messi's representatives. The report also states that the Etihad outfit is not planning to make an official approach for Messi until March or April as it plans to see how things play out.

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Several reports have linked Messi to Man City due to the connection between Pep Guardiola and Messi. The Catalan was in charge of Barcelona for four seasons and helped the club win three LaLiga titles and two Champions League titles with Messi as the star man in his squad. 

Image Credits - Man City, Leo Messi Instagram