Barcelona Transfer News: Stunning Lionel Messi, Manchester City Rumours Emerge

Lionel Messi has reportedly "assured" Manchester City they are his first-choice destination should he ever leave Barcelona. 

That's according to David McDonnell of the Mirror, who noted the forward enjoys a "close relationship" with City sporting director Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano after they previously worked at the Camp Nou.

A move to the Sky Blues could see him reunite with former mentor Pep Guardiola, who will be arriving at the Etihad Stadium this summer.

Per McDonnell, Messi remains content with the Blaugrana, though, and has "no immediate plans to leave," so any potential move could be some way off yet—but because of Guardiola's arrival, City also believe they will be "first in line" to snap up any other Barca player who departs the club in the near future.

Messi's Barcelona team-mates Luis Suarez, Dani Alves and Sergio Busquets are also named as reported targets, while Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News noted that Neymar has been "heavily linked" with a move to the Etihad in recent months.

The news was also reported by the Daily Star, per City Watch on Twitter:

Messi has been in stellar form this season, racking up 37 goals and 18 assists in just 38 games—incredible tallies that would undoubtedly be even higher had he not spent over a month of the campaign injured in October and November.

As Squawka Football revealed, the 28-year-old has been consistently reaching this phenomenal level since his youth:

Per Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez, it is not just the forward's goalscoring ability that makes him such an exceptional talent, but his passing as well:

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recently expressed his admiration for Messi after he scored three goals across two legs against the Gunners to knock them out of the UEFA Champions League, per football journalist Dermot Corrigan:

As McDonnell noted, landing Messi would be an unrivalled coup anywhere in football, and City are one of the few sides who could afford his £500,000-per-week wages.

However, there's no guarantee he'll ever leave the club at all. Indeed, per France Football (h/t James Walker-Roberts of Sky Sports) Messi recently said the only way he would finish his career anywhere other than Barcelona is if he returned to Argentina, and he specifically ruled out moving to another European club.

City could well be the club that stand to benefit if he ever does change his mind, but it's possible they'll never get their man in this instance.