Manchester City Transfer News: Lionel Messi Rumours, Latest on Sead Kolasinac

Manchester City would reportedly be the favourites to sign Barcelona icon Lionel Messi if he were to leave the Camp Nou in the future.

That's according to Daniel Cutts of the Sun, who has noted the chance to work for a second time with City manager Pep Guardiola, formerly of the Blaugrana, would be a huge incentive for Messi and potentially give the Etihad Stadium outfit an edge over rivals Manchester United.

"City would be the favourites if he were to one day leave, but we would obviously love the [sic] sign a player of that level," said a Red Devils source quoted in the report. "We would not get involved in any bidding war unless Messi's camp gave an indication that he was willing to come here."

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In a separate report, Rob Draper of MailOnline outlined the links between those close to Messi, including his father Jorge, and key figures at Manchester City.

"Barca never received a formal offer from City last summer, but everyone is aware Jorge can pick up the phone to Txiki Begiristain, Ferran Soriano and [Guardiola], having worked with them so closely in the past at Barca," he said. "And everyone is aware what Manchester City and Guardiola would do to convince Messi he could make a new start in England."

Additionally, Draper also added that City's best chance to sign Messi may have been during the previous transfer window. Indeed, Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail also feels as though Messi moving to the Etihad is a fantastical prospect as things stand:

Speculation over Messi's future at the Camp Nou was ramped up this week when a story from Marca's Carlos Carpio suggested the forward was stalling on a new contract with the club. However, those reports were denied by Sport, who suggested the 29-year-old was still on course to extend his current terms that expire in 2018.

For City, getting Messi would undoubtedly represent one of the most significant transfer deals of all time. However, given the Argentina man's affinity with Barcelona and the constant success he enjoys with the club, it's difficult to imagine him plying his trade anywhere else in European football.

City Eyeing Sead Kolasinac

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According to SportBild (h/t Sport Witness), Manchester City have been keeping an eye on Schalke 04 left-back Sead Kolasinac over the last five weeks with a view to a future transfer.

As noted in the report, the Bosnia and Herzegovina international looks as though he could be on the move in the near future, as his contract with the Bundesliga side is set to expire at the end of the season. Kolasinac, as such, is free to discuss a pre-contract with other clubs from January.

The 23-year-old has long been one of the standout left-backs in the German top flight. Here's a look at what he'd potentially bring to the Etihad Stadium:

Kolasinac has been making encouraging progress since bursting into the Schalke first team in 2012 and has remained a steady presence on the left flank. Given his energy, quality in possession and versatility—the Bosnian is also adept at slotting into the centre of the defence—it's no surprise to see links to City.

Guardiola may feel as though he could do with an upgrade in the left-back slot too, with neither Gael Clichy nor Aleksandar Kolarov impressing at the Etihad so far this season. Either for a bargain fee in January or free at the end of the season, Kolasinac would represent a cheap, risk-free option for City.