Report: Manchester City doing the math on potential Messi deal

Manchester City are reportedly trying to determine if they can afford to sign Lionel Messi without violating Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules should the Barcelona star talisman become available, sources told ESPN UK's Moises Llorens and Rodrigo Faez.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu claims Messi is not for sale despite the star's criticisms of the club during a season where the Catalan giants were humiliated 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals and failed to win a trophy for the first time since 2007-08.

Last week, reports suggested there's been an internal debate at Barcelona over the prospect of potentially selling Messi as the club looks to perform a significant squad overhaul.

The 33-year-old has one year left on his current terms, which feature a €700-million release clause.

Messi's tenure at Camp Nou is at its most tenuous juncture. In February, Messi called out sporting director Eric Abidal for blaming the first-team for Ernesto Valverde's sacking. Abidal was fired last week. Then, in March, Messi publicly criticized the board for alleging the players refused a pay cut amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the odds, City's brass wants to be prepared should a long-shot move for the six-time Ballon d'Or winner come to fruition.

City successfully overturned a two-year European ban in July for FFP violations imposed by UEFA following an appeal with The Court of Arbitration for Sport.