Paris and Manchester City, each their own dance for Messi
Lionel Messi will he face his future club in the knockout stages of the Champions League next week?
Seven days before the FC Barcelona - Paris Saint-Germain clash,
France Football
suggests that the Parisian sporting director, Leonardo, is active in bringing Messi to the capital at the end of the season.
But according to
ESPN
, the “aggressive” strategy with regard to the Argentinean, at the end of the contract and who already almost left Barça last summer, is not the right one.
Messi (33) would not have appreciated the multiple statements from PSG about him.
Leonardo had said to reserve "a chair in case" if Messi intended to leave Catalonia.
Angel Di Maria saw "perhaps possibilities" for his compatriot to join him in Paris.
A restlessness at the antipodes of the way of doing Manchester City, which had already operated in the shadows last August and held the rope to recruit the sixfold Ballon d'Or.
Pep Guardiola, Skyblues coach and former Messi coach at Barça (2008-2012), allegedly made a phone call to sell him the English club's project.
City would wait until March or April before going on the attack.
And Barça in all of this?
If discussions for an extension there are, it will be necessary to wait for the election of a new club president, that is to say not before the month of March.
Messi's top 5 goals in the Champions League
Manchester City: after Messi, Lukaku?
There is more than one striker who has his name attached to Manchester City in transfer rumors.
The Athletic
reports that Romelu Lukaku is emerging as one of the Premier League leader's recruiting priorities for next summer.
Sergio Agüero (32), the club's top scorer in history, is not expected to extend his contract, leaving Gabriel Jesus (23) the only center-forward in the squad.
Lukaku (27), author of 20 goals in 27 appearances for Inter Milan this season, would thus be a reinforcement of choice.
The Nerazzurri, however, would not be worried about their Belgian striker, under contract until 2024. Inter had spent € 74m to snatch Lukaku from Manchester United a year and a half ago.
It remains to be seen if Manchester City can break the bank for him in addition to drawing up the red carpet for Lionel Messi during the same transfer window.
Real Madrid: Varane, currency against Mbappé?
The days go by and Sergio Ramos, defender and captain of Real Madrid, is still at the end of his contract.
The file is sensitive among the Merengue, but it is not the only one:
Marca
makes its front page this Tuesday on “the Raphaël Varane soap opera”.
15 days earlier, the Spanish press was already raising the possibility that the French defender (27) refuses to sign a new lease, the current one expiring in June 2022, in order to launch a new challenge after having won everything at Real.
According to
Marca
, the choice of Varane is not yet known, and the Madrid club intend to convince him to extend.
But if the negotiations are not successful, then everything will be done to transfer him this summer and avoid a free start the following year.
The world champion would be valued at € 50 million and could be used ... for the recruitment of Kylian Mbappé.
Marca
speaks of "hypothetical circumstances", but sees a scenario in which Lionel Messi signs for PSG.
Mbappé, who is not as close as Neymar to extending his contract, would be pushed out for economic reasons.
Thus, Varane would find himself included in an exchange with Mbappé, in order to lower the price of the French striker.
But neither Paris nor Real are there yet.
Varane's best at Real Madrid
Liverpool ticks Raphinha's name (Leeds)
It was in the last moments of the 2020 summer transfer window that Stade Rennais sold Raphinha to Leeds, for just under € 20 million.
The Brazilian winger (24) has successfully adapted to the Premier League, to the point of catching the eye of Liverpool according to
France Football
.
The Reds could approach him this summer.
What revive the rumors about the uncertain future of Mohamed Salah, while Liverpool must already make room for Diogo Jota.
The Portuguese (24) was dazzling at the start of the season, before a serious knee injury last December.
Nantes: Domenech already under pressure?
Zero victory in seven matches: Raymond Domenech did not cure the ills of FC Nantes, 18th in Ligue 1. The Canaries receive Lens this Wednesday in the Coupe de France, before a trip to Angers on Sunday in the league.
And it will "at least send positive signals", according to
L'Équipe
.
Otherwise the Nantes president, Waldemar Kita, will think about a new strong choice to save his club, which has not known Ligue 2 since the 2012-13 season.
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