Premier League outfit Manchester City are reportedly prepared to spend in the region of £165m this summer to land Lionel Messi from Barcelona.
Despite scoring 40 times in 43 games for Barca this season, Messi has drawn criticism from some sections for a perceived laziness in certain matches.
The Spanish champions are believed to be preparing a new long-term contract for the Argentine, which would see him surpass Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo as the top earner in Spain.
However, according to Sport, City are desperate to acquire Messi's signature and will go as high as £165m to convince Barcelona to sanction the sale.
Messi has scored 353 goals in 422 games for Barcelona.
