City could seduce Lionel Messi with a pre-contract offer before talks...

Man City trying to seduce Messi?

Manchester City could try to seduce Lionel Messi with a pre-contract offer in January as the striker doesn’t want to discuss his future at Barcelona until later in the season, the Telegraph reports. With the 33-year-old’s contract expiring at the end of the current season, the transfer saga looks to be another chapter after the Argentine reluctantly stayed at the club last summer. City was Messi’s most likely target and now the Premier League club will have to crack the numbers if they are to bring the six-time Ballon d’Or winner to England.

View of Paper Round: There won’t be a clause in 2021 but where will Barca be by then? Who will be the head coach? And the president? Certainly not Josep Maria Bartomeu after the current president announced his resignation while Barca are 12th in La Liga – and the fact that Victor Font wants Xavi and even Pep Guardiola back at the club as front runner for presidential role – Ronald Koeman will be unlikely to last the season. What shape Barca are in May or June will determine whether Messi stays or leaves, but the January city option adds a fascinating layer to that story.

No Alli talks yet

Jose Mourinho has yet to sit down with Dele Alli and discuss the Tottenham midfielder’s future, the Telegraph reports. Alli started the first Premier League game of the season but has only made one appearance from the bench since then, while not having been in the squad on the other five occasions. He was one of four players sent off at halftime in last week’s Europa League loss to Antwerp but he has yet to fully understand why he is overlooked after a loan to PSG was blocked. A loan move in January could be an option if he can’t win Mourinho over.

View of Paper Round: The ones who watched All or nothing I’ll know what Mourinho thinks of Alli’s efforts in training, but there seemed to be a connection as the boss likes the player’s undisputed talent. Who knows what’s going on this season – it’s hard to really know what’s going on behind the scenes when the cameras aren’t there anyway.

PL clubs support championship clubs

The Times reports that the Premier League has made another rescue offer to the English Football League and has pledged not to take any championship club out of business. A previous £ 50m offer was turned down as it only affected first and second division clubs. Now the Premier League is committed to allocating that sum to the third and fourth tiers and ensuring that a championship club suffering from the coronavirus pandemic does not bust.

View of Paper Round: A promise that you never really want to bring to light, but that could well come true as long as the supporters stay away from the site. £ 50m is still lower than the EFL wanted. Let’s see what they make of it when they meet later this week.

Barca still behind Garcia

Barcelona will place a final £ 7million bid on Manchester City defender Eric Garcia in January, the Daily Mail reported. The Spanish club have long been associated with the teenager but their summery approach to the center-back has been dismissed by City, who risk losing Garcia for free if his contract expires at the end of the season.

View of Paper Round: One of those lingering transfer rumors that makes you wonder what one club sees in a player that another club can’t. Barca seem keen on Garcia but the 19-year-old is struggling to keep a place in City.