I'd say we get him. He doesn't rely much on his pace anyway so age wouldn't be a problem like how David Villa has kept on going.
Aguero, Jesus, and Messi. Sounds about right
No one pays for themselves in shirt sales. That's a myth.I'm sure we only get the £15m from our kit deal or whatever it is a season and the shirt sales go to Nike, not us. So if I'm right the 'Messi will pay for himself' argument wouldn't work out, it'd just put more money in Nike's pocket. Same with how the rags were saying Pogba would pay for himself in shirt sales alone. But that money goes to Adidas, not United, who in turn give them a whopping £75m a season. The only thing this kind of signing would guarantee us is a huge new kit deal contract which we'll surely be aiming for regardless of a big statement signing. Plus I doubt Nike would give us even half as much as the money it would require to sign Messi considering he's the Adidas poster boy and has his own range of football boots.
Either way this signing will never happen.
He pays for himself and the deals have been in place for 4 years to do that. He would cost around £180m to buy and that amortises at £36m a year over 5 years. Nike & Etihad were approached and they agreed to increase their sponsorship payments to cover that, Etihad by £25m and Nike by £12m. His basic wage is/was around £13m a year (the rest comes from commercial deals) and we had 3 new sponsors lined up at £5m a year each (with more queuing up to get involved).
He's younger than Silva, Toure, Fernandinho and Navas and just a year older than Aguero.
Do we have another Messi close to breaking into the 1st team squad? Maybe Brahim in 2 or 3 years time but not currently.
I genuinely think we're getting him in this window, but pretty conficted on it tbh. I don't think it fits the team right now plus we'll offload Kun.
Sane, Sterling and Jesus is our immediate future and I think bringing Messi in would completely unbalance that.
Perhaps thats why Pep is keeping Kun sweet.Kun unbalances that, Messi doesn't.
Kun is a centre forward, so one of the three have to sit aside. Messi can play deeper, or anywhere, and make a dramatic improvement on overall performance of the team.
I don't personally think we'll get Messi, but there's way too many benefits not to break the bank for him if the opportunity presented itself.
Lol mate quit banging on about how signing 1 player will ruin the academy, it's only one player he will be holding back and that player is more then likely not and never be be of the level of messi. I am a massive fan of the academy but if we can get 3-4 first team regulars from our current academy crop we will be doing well. It's a reasonable assumption that having one of if not the most marketable player on the planet will raise sponsorship and sponsorship opportunitys. And as for the age of the squad we have Jesus, sane and sterling think the average age of our attackers is one of the youngest around. Finally I like most people think having a better squad is more important then having a younger squad.And your quite ok with that? Are you not the same person on social media who preaches about our academy?
Who are these 3 new sponsors lined up? Surely you can name them fella?? And proof on both Nike/Etihad increasing their sponsorship deals?
If you know me, you would know that I would prefer for us to have a much younger squad.
2. Shirt sales, sponsorship deals, general fanfare, trophies.
3. Your views are stupid. You keep ranting and raving about him being a mercenary with no evidence to back it up. Meanwhile, if becomes available to City, the club will sign him. I can only but imagine the meltdown that would ensue on your behalf.
It couldn't be used for better players, there are no better players than Messi. Younger, yes. Better, no.
How signing Messi ties the club's hands on further signings financially, you have yet to demonstrate.
You ACTUALLY don't need to randomly capitalise words, but you do that anyway.
We still chuck money at players to join. Last summer, we chucked a club record.
Everyone is getting older. Not everyone is Lionel Messi.
It's widely reported that he would relish the opportunity to play under Pep Guardiola again, never mind the fact his best friend plays for the club too.
But let's say you're right. So what? No player is playing for City for anything other than money and nobody cares.
How do you know that?
Sorry, let me make this clear, what you and your five (?) mates think about City signing Lionel Messi is irrelevant because:
1. It doesn't cover the broad consensus of City fans, of which there are numerous.
2. It ignores arguments in this very thread against you.
3. It doesn't change the fact the club would very much want to sign him.
You're wrong.
Know who else says you're wrong? Pep Guardiola.
You don't. You harp on and on about Messi being a mercenary, despite the fact he's played only for one club his entire career. You go to pains to bring up his exorbitant cost, despite evidence being presented that the club want to absorb it and he recoups his money over time.
Anything else?
Ok, that's fine then, but the club doesn't agree with you and will never agree with you.
I love our academy, but I love our Sane and Sterling more. I'd love Messi too if we got him. I'm sure most would agree.