MANCHESTER City are ready to offer Lionel Messi a staggering £450million over five years if he leaves Barcelona, reports claims.

The 33-year-old – who has one year left on his contract at the Nou Camp – expressed his desire to depart Catalonia after the club were humiliated by Bayern Munich.

Speculation regarding his future intensified over the weekend after Messi snubbed coronavirus testing in Barcelona.

There has even been talk that Messi has spoke to Guardiola where he told him he believes he can win two Ballon d’Or titles at the Etihad.

And now Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri has claimed that City are ready to pay Messi £450million over five years.

He even suggested that the club would pay him a £225m bonus after three years in England, where he would then join sister club New York City.

Palmeri didn’t state how much City would pay Barca in order to secure his services.

He tweeted: “Boom. Manchester City would pay Messi €500m (£446m) net for 5 years!

“The salary would be €50m (£44.6m) per season, but after 3 years at the City there would be a €250m (£223m) bonus moving the last two years to New York City!”