Leo Messi, the greatest footballing Argentinian the world has every seen, although some think that should be cheating fat little coke-head, Maradona, looks set to leave his ‘home’. Lionel Messi wasn’t born in Barcelona but he’s lived there since he joined their famous and fabulous youth academy when he was an amazingly prodigious talent, at about 4 months old. And he’s never left. But now 33, he wants out. And he has a stipulation in his contract that this month he can leave without Barcelona implementing the…

The 700 million Euro buyout clause which has totally anchored him to his club for decades. Though the timing of that is in contention but will be resolved. Because Messi wants out. He wants to return to his spiritual foster-mother, Pep Guardiola. The current manager of Manchester City. Because new manager at Barca (they have about 4 a year), Ronald Koman, told the weeny Argie that ‘his privileges are over’. Oooohhhh.

So all Man City have to do is match the wages that the incumbent ‘best player in the world’ currently ‘earns’. Which is, for a starter, about 78 million a year. With bonuses that comes to 100 mil. Best of all, Messi would receive from Barca a 70 million Euro ‘loyalty bonus’ if he stayed til next year. So he wants that. A disloyalty bonus. Should Man City be so stupid as to agree to throwing that paltry sum into the mix.

Which they will because they’re stupid, cash rich and can’t resist the draw that Messi would represent. Even though for the foreseeable no-one is going to the Etihad to see him or anyone else. Why, in increased shirt sales alone they would make probably £4,634 a year!

So best of all, of course, is that City must be aware of the Financial Fair Play rules. The same ones they’ve flouted mercilessly for 10 years and they actually saw off the toothless, testicle-free legal battle raised by UEFA for those sins. City’s wage bill is currently about 320 million a year. And that, if FFP was regulated by anyone other than UEFA, would have seen them punished. So adding 100 mil minimum per year to that for one little Argentinian would cause problems. So they’re looking at Messi being employed by The City Football Group, rather than the football club itself.

And if that is not simply gobbing in the eye of UEFA, then I don’t know what more they can do. Move one of their oil fields to Old Trafford, perhaps. But hang on! Third party ownership of players is illegal! UEFA actually have done things about that in the past with another couple of Argentinians. So he either will NOT be paid by Man City which will be the loophole of loopholes if allowed. Or he will be paid by them and they can just ignore FFP like they always do.

The problem is: I really want Messi in the Premier League. I really don’t want Manchester City to buy him. No-one else here could possibly ‘afford’ him. Unless he decides to come to Spurs. The club he would have supported as a kid. If he’d have met me. And take a pay cut of about… 95 million a year. What’s the problem with that?

Happy dreaming

A xxxx