Messi's move to City now 'case closed' with Haaland the priority

Lionel Messi’s move to Manchester City is now ‘case closed’ after Pep Guardiola’s side ‘throw in the towel’ and turn attention to Erling Haaland, Harry Kane or Romelu Lukaku… with PSG now the ‘only alternative’ if Barcelona star wishes to leave

• Reports in Spain state that Manchester City have given up on Lionel Messi 
• Argentine expressed his desire to leave last summer though was made to stay 
• It is reported that City have now accepted Messi won’t leave the Nou Camp 
• Pep Guardiola’s side are putting all efforts into the search for a new striker 

Manchester City have reportedly abandoned their ambitious move to bring Lionel Messi to the Premier League and have now deemed the whole episode as ‘case closed.’

City for some time have stood as favourites to be Messi’s next suitor should be make an emotional exit from the Nou Camp, after expressing his desire to embrace a new challenge last summer.

Messi’s attempt to leave the club failed and now, under new manager Ronald Koeman and the returning president Joan Laporta, Messi appears to be enjoying his football once more and looks set to stay.

Reports in Spain say City’s pursuit of Lionel Messi is now deemed to be ‘case closed’ and Pep Guardiola (right) won’t be getting a reunion with his former star striker

Messi made clear his intentions to leave last summer, but City now expect him to renew

According to Spanish publication Sport, City were very interested in signing Messi last summer but ‘they are throwing in the towel, convinced that the Argentine will renew with Barca.’

The report details that ‘City will be signing a forward this summer to replace the departing Sergio Aguero, and the candidates are Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku.’

City have made no secret of the fact that they are on the search for firepower, after confirming on Monday that all-time leading goalscorer Aguero will move on at the end of the season once his contract expires.

Sergio Aguero’s announcement that he will leave City has placed Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland as favourite to replace him

City were widely expected to bring Messi to Premier League football, after the superstar told Barca last year that he wished to exercise his option to leave the club for free.

Messi sent the Spanish giants an official burofax outlining that he wanted to bring his time at the Nou Camp to a close, though Barca stood firm and successfully argued that such a deadline for notifying them of this intention.

Messi has knuckled back down this season despite being forced to stay and has got back to his majestic best, currently leading the way in the LaLiga goalscoring charts with 23 goals and eight assists from 26 games played.

Barca have rocketed up the table as a result, and now sit in second place just four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.

Sport add in the report that Paris Saint Germain now remains the ‘only alternative to force Messi away from the Camp Nou from June 30th,’ should he once again decide to tell his boyhood club he wishes to leave.

Romelu Lukaku is now being linked with a City move alongside Tottenham’s Harry Kane (right)

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