The supposed Lionel Messi transfer to Chelsea met a minor setback recently after the Blues manager Jose Mourinho said that they cannot afford the Barcelona star. But of course, in the world of professional football, nothing is sure, especially with the wheeling and dealing of players. Afterall, the team is one of the richest in England right now.
The price to push for Lionel Messi transfer is not the only challenge that Chelsea will face. They will also have to deal with other clubs chasing the Barcelona star. One of which is English Premier League rivals Manchester City.
According to reports, "Manchester City are monitoring Lionel Messi's situation at Barcelona in the hope they can beat Chelsea to his signature."
The Daily Star wrote citing the Daily Mail as the source:
"The champions - currently stifled by FFP - have explored the possibility of signing Messi in the past and still believe a deal could be done in the summer.
Messi, 27, would cost in the region of £200m and around £500,000-a-week."
Manchester City is one of the richest club in EPL. They are also one of the most successful over the past seasons so it would not be surprising to see them get the advantage on Lionel Messi's move out of Barcelona. Not to mention that Messi's best friend Sergio Aguero is playing there.
As for Chelsea, there were reports that they will be backed by their official outfit provider Adidas which happens to be one of the biggest sponsors of Lionel Messi.
Express UK wrote:
"Barcelona have placed a near £200 million price tag on their most prized asset, but according to sources close to the player, sports giant adidas, who are Chelsea's club sponsors, would be ready to help broker the deal in order to steal the striker from rivals Nike."
How true is this Lionel Messi transfer to Chelsea? Express said "Messi is apparently already studying English, and believes his son Thiago would receive a better education in London."
