Gossip: Pep to pair £100m Grealish with Messi at Man City

Ian Watson

CITY STILL INTERESTED IN MESSI
Do Manchester City want Lionel Messi or not?

The word on Monday was that City had gone cold on the Barcelona superstar. But today, it seems the possibility remains that Pep Guardiola could make a move for Messi next year.

ESPN says Guardiola’s new deal puts City firmly in the driving seat should Messi, as expected, look to quit Barcelona next summer. City are apparently aware that a reunion with Guardiola appeals to the 33-year-old, just six months after the club were ‘ready to do whatever it took’ to complete a deal.

The Daily Mail also reckons City remain interested in Messi having last year come up with a 10-year plan to maximise the impact of what would be a stunning deal.

 

GREALISH IS GUARDIOLA’S PRIORITY
The Independent are rather more firm on Guardiola’s desire to sign Jack Grealish.

Miguel Delaney’s story goes that the Villa captain is the City boss’s top target for next summer. Apparently, Pep sees Grealish as a ‘highly-buyable’ player – not as buyable as he was earlier this year – who has been discussed by the City boss at boardroom level and with Kevin De Bruyne.

The Belgium playmaker is said to have given Grealish his endorsement having described the England star as ‘a player City must try and sign’.

Grealish won’t be available on the cheap, however. A clause in the contract he signed with Villa in the summer states that he would not be able to leave the club for less than £100million.


READ MORE: Five transfer decisions impeding Pep’s rebuild at Man City


 

REAL, INTER DISCUSS SWAP DEAL
Christian Eriksen is in rather more of a hurry to move. The Denmark playmaker wants out of Inter Milan and the club would be more than happy to grant him an exit.

Borussia Bortmund is mentioned as a possible destination by TMW, but Sky Germany suggests Eriksen could be heading for Real Madrid.

Apparently, Real have held discussions with Inter over a possible swap deal that would see Isco go the other way.

Real are happy to let Isco leave, with the Spain playmaker having featured in eight of the club’s 10 La Liga matches this season, but he has started only three and he is yet to get off the bench in the Champions League.

Still, Real are said to be asking for around £62million for Isco, which seems optimistic, while Eriksen’s value to Inter would be considerably less.

AS contradicts the story somewhat, saying Real have received no offers for Isco, who has been linked with Arsenal and City. At that price, it’s not surprising.