Barcelona Transfer News: Lionel Messi Exit Rumours, Latest Paulo Dybala Talk

Manchester City have made Barcelona icon Lionel Messi their "top priority" in the summer transfer window.

That's according to Simon Mullock of the Sunday Mirror, who suggested the Premier League side "believe Messi is ready to quit Barcelona" at the end of the campaign. The 29-year-old forward has yet to agree an extension at the Camp Nou, with his deal set to expire in 2018.

"City's confidence that they can seal a world-record £100 million deal for the five-time world player of the year has received a double boost in recent days," Mullock noted. "Messi’s father, Jorge, who acts as his son's adviser, is in Barcelona to look after business—but has no plans to talk to the club about extending a contract that now has less than 16 months to run."

Additionally, it's suggested that Messi would be keen to link up with City boss Pep Guardiola again, having flourished under his tutelage at the Camp Nou.

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If the deal were to go ahead, it'd have a seismic impact given how synonymous Messi has become with the Blaugrana. Sports journalist Rafael Hernandez wouldn't be surprised to see the Argentina international depart:

Barcelona do seem to be reaching a crucial point, with their 4-0 loss to Paris-Saint Germain in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday exposing some long-term vulnerabilities.

The most notable one being that if Messi has an off day, which has been rare for him in the 2016-17 season, the team struggles to perform. As excellent as Luis Suarez and Neymar are, the Argentina man knits play together, finds telling passes in the final third and scores goals.

Messi’s club and international team-mate Javier Mascherano summed up how important the No. 10 is at the Camp Nou in an interview with Barcelona's official magazine:

City could tempt Messi in the way of the lucrative terms they could offer, not to mention they are at the start of an exciting project with Guardiola at the helm. As difficult as it is to imagine the forward donning another club's jersey, the longer he goes without signing a new Barca deal, the less fantastical the prospect becomes.

Paulo Dybala Rumours

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According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Calciomercato), Juventus sensation and reported Barcelona target Paulo Dybala has been encouraged to ignore interest from Real Madrid.

It's suggested that someone close to the Blaugrana has advised the forward to sign a contract extension with the Bianconeri and forget about Los Blancos. The 23-year-old has been in sensational form this season and showcased his worth with another stunning display against Palermo on Friday.

In that match, a 4-1 win for the Old Lady, Dybala netted twice against his former club, including a stunning free-kick. Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini said before the game he feels the forward is capable of emulating Messi:

Aside from being a left-footed Argentina forward, there are stylistic similarities between Dybala and the Barcelona great. They each have a low centre of gravity, find space on the field and can glide past opposition defenders with ease.

Dybala is well on his way to becoming the hottest rising star in the world game, and given how well he's developed at Juventus, it'd make sense for him to agree an extension. However, Barca and Madrid are renowned for pursuing players of his calibre and will surely continue to be linked with a move for years to come.