BARCELONA presidential favourite Victor Font has told Manchester City to forget about signing Lionel Messi in the new year.
SunSport revealed last week that Pep Guardiola is keen to try again for the Argentine superstar in January.
Man City have been warned off Lionel Messi by the Barcelona presidential favouriteCredit: AFP or licensors
Messi, 33, will be out of contract in the summer and a cut-price deal could tempt the cash-stricken Catalan giants.
But Font says he has already made it clear to City chief executive Ferran Soriano that if he is nominated, Barca will not consider selling him.
Font revealed: “I already told Soriano to forget about Messi, to look for alternatives to win the Champions League.
“Messi will continue with us and we will win the Champions League.”
Font had previously said he would try to bring Guardiola back to Barca if he is voted in to succeed Josep Bartomeu.
But the City boss last week signed a contract extension at the Etihad until 2023.
Instead, Font will make a new deal for Messi his No 1 priority if he takes power.
He added: “Getting into a situation where the best player in history wants to leave — and not for a lack of love for the club — generates frustration.
“It is one of the reasons why it is urgent for a new project.”
Messi has scored an incredible 640 goals in just 742 appearances for Barca, winning an astonishing ten LaLiga titles and four Champions Leagues.
Messi also has 71 goals in 142 games for Argentina but is yet to win anything with his national team.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
