Manchester City transfer news: Former Argentine team-mate urges Lionel Messi to join club

Lionel Messi
(Image credit: PA)

Pablo Zabaleta believes Lionel Messi would enjoy playing for Manchester City should he make the move to the Etihad Stadium.

The Barcelona forward is out of contract at the Camp Nou on June 30 and has yet to make a decision about his future.

City and PSG are thought to be leading the race to sign the Argentina international, who played alongside Zabaleta for the national team.

And the former City right-back thinks his old team-mate would thrive under Pep Guardiola, under whom he enjoyed great success at Barcelona.

“If Lionel Messi ­decides to leave Barcelona and he wants to play in the best league then he has to experience the Premier League for himself," Zabaleta told the Daily Mirror

“It is something that will ­interest him because every player I know always asks me what the Premier League is like.

“Leo has been in La Liga for so many years and I think it would be a huge ­attraction for him to experience English football. 

“And Manchester City offer the ­perfect conditions. He knows Pep very well, he knows [sporting director] Txiki Begiristain and [chief executive] Ferran Soriano and also [Sergio] Aguero. 

“It would be a big ­decision if Leo leaves ­Barcelona. But if that’s what he wants then it would be a good thing for him to go to a club that has people already there who can help him to settle.

“When you have been at one club for so long, moving ­somewhere new can be very strange. 

“I am sure clubs like ­Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus would also be ­interested in signing him, but it is my opinion that City would be the best place to go after Barcelona.”

Guardiola’s side are in pole position to win the Premier League title this season.

Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Tottenham moved City seven points clear of the chasing pack.

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