Manchester United Begins Efforts To Sign Lionel Messi, Report Says

Manchester United has emerged as one of Lionel Messi's top suitors and has set the wheels in motion for a deal with the Argentine, a new report from Spain said, after news broke that the superstar wants to depart Barcelona.

After two decades with the Catalans, Messi has told Barcelona that he wants to leave Camp Nou, Associated Press reported Tuesday. Multiple clubs have expressed interest in getting the Argentine icon's signature, including Inter Milan, Manchester City and Juventus.

Joining them is Manchester United, which has already begun making moves to reach a possible transfer deal for the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, Deportes Cuatro reported.

Sources told the Spanish outlet that even when Barcelona was consistently shutting down rumors of Messi’s departure, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side was already “on the prowl” and approached the 33-year-old for a deal. The club has “begun its efforts for his possible signing,” according to the report.

Due to the financial blow brought by the pandemic, few clubs can afford Messi’s release clause. But United would have no problem paying the Barcelona captain's price if they do reach an agreement, with the English club being financially capable of closing such massive deals, the report said.

Manchester United is in a position to sign Messi and could pull off a deal with the football legend, claimed Sport.

Prior to reports of Messi’s looming Barcelona departure, some notable personalities in the sport weighed in on the subject. Luis Figo, a soccer legend famous for his move from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000, predicted that it would be almost impossible for a player to repeat his transfer, especially Messi, who has a huge release clause in his contract.

“It'll be impossible for any club to pay up Messi's release clause this year,” Figo said in a recent Banco Santander event in Lisbon via Goal. “I think it's very difficult or even impossible for any club to be able pay Messi's contract. For me, I think it's impossible we'll see anything similar to what happened with me 20 years ago.”

Liverpool legend Graeme Souness, on the other hand, previously wrote in his column for The Times U.K. that now is the right time to pursue the Barcelona star, picking both Manchester clubs as the two best possible destinations.

Souness wrote, “This would be the perfect week to put a bid in for the 33-year-old Argentinian and I could easily see him playing in Manchester — at either United or City.”