Transfer Balls: Manchester United want Lionel Messi and Ronaldo
The Sun leads its sports coverage with the rugby World Cup news that Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City hope they each have enough money to “persuade Lionel Messi to swap Barcelona for the Prem.”
Would Messi come to Manchester or London? The Sun says the Argentine superstar has “given the trio the clearest hint yet that he is ready to listen”.
All three clubs are convinced that Messi is genuinely considering a move to a different environment and that he could become the Prem’s stellar asset for his last few top seasons.
If he signs we get to see the fading great. He’s 28 now. And he’s only coming for the money – “the Argentine growing increasingly angry at ongoing issues with the Spanish tax authorities. Messi and his father Jorge face trial over an alleged £3.1million tax fraud relating to image rights deals despite prosecutors recommending the charges should be dropped.”
Can you leave Spain be a tax exile in England?
Messi’s current deal has a prohibitive buy-out clause of 250million EUROS, making a move this summer infeasible.
Unfeasible for Manchester City’s trillions?
But by June 2017, when he turns 30 and with one year left in his contract, Barca may be more keen to sell, although the English trio would still have to smash their wage structure to accommodate Messi’s demand for a deal matching his current one.
Who wants to pay a fortune to eke a couple of years value from a 30-year-old Messi? Maybe Manchester United want him to team him up with an ageing Ronaldo?
Such are the facts…
Posted: 23rd, October 2015 | In: Arsenal, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
