Messi, who joined Barca as a child, was linked to City in January and in an attempt to avoid any speculation in the summer Barca president Joan Laporta said: "Messi is not for sale and that's it.

"It's not a question of money. For me he's the best player in the world and he feels comfortable at Barcelona.

"For us, Messi reflects Barca in a perfect way that makes young players see how we develop talents.

"Leo Messi came to Barca when he was 12 years old. He has a natural talent but we created the player you know and we are very proud of this.

"I think Leo is very happy in our city and in our country and so is his family."

City have also been linked to striker Thierry Henry, but BArca have stated he is going nowehere. Henry signed a four-year deal in 2007 and has since been thought to extend the deal by three more years in the near future.

(Soccer365.com)