Barcelona news: Man City hold SERIOUS TALKS over £359m Lionel Messi transfer

It was announced during the summer that Messi had agreed terms on a new deal at the Nou Camp that would keep him at the club until 2021.

But since then it has emerged the contract has not yet been made official as he needs to have his photo taken with president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Iniesta signed a ‘contract for life’ at Barcelona this week, but Messi’s future still remains up in the air.

Barcelona chiefs have maintained they are not concerned about Messi’s situation, despite his current deal expiring at the end of the season.

However, Spanish outlet Marca claim Manchester City are ready to pounce and have already held talks with Messi’s representatives.

They report sources closes to Pep Guardiola’s side have said that “serious conversation have been held with the footballer’s inner circle”.

If they get an incline that Messi could be tempted to reunite with his former Barcelona boss at the Etihad, City were prepared to offer £359million for his services.

That would obliterate the world-record £200m fee Paris Saint-Germain paid to sign Neymar in the summer.

However, it is suggested the Argentina international has no intention to leave the La Liga giants as his wife doesn’t want to move their family.

Messi is currently on international duty and is in real danger of missing out on next year’s World Cup.

Argentina currently sit sixth in South America’s qualification table with the top four teams going to Russia automatically while the fifth-placed side goes into a play-off match against New Zealand in November.

There are only two points separating third-placed Chile and seventh-placed Paraguay.