Lionel Messi: Barcelona star wanted by Chinese club Hebei China Fortune who will offer him £80MILLION a year
Superstar Argentine Messi is wanted on the giant salary by a team who already have the best paid player in the world on their books
LIONEL MESSI is wanted by mega-rich Chinese club Hebei China Fortune who will offer him over £80million a year.
Hebei China Fortune already possess the world’s highest paid player in the form of Lionel Messi’s Argentina countryman, Ezequiel Lavezzi.
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And the side managed by ex-Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini also have the likes of Stephane Mbia, Gael Kakuta and Gervinho on their payroll.
But Sky Sports are now reporting that they want to make the most ambitious move of all to capture one of, if not the best player on the planet in Barca's Messi.
He turned down a new Nou Camp deal last summer with reports suggesting he was unhappy with the club’s treatment of him during his high-profile tax fraud case, alerting other clubs.
Talks are ongoing between Barca and his father and agent Jorge flies to Spain - and Messi is understood to be demanding a whopping £825,000-a-week to sign – over £300,000 more than Cristiano Ronaldo pockets at Real Madrid.
Striking partner Luis Suarez is very close to penning a new deal with the Catalans, while Neymar agreed terms back in October.
Pellegrini, who has laid out a £500,000-A-WEEK welcome mat which will infuriate the Gunners, said: “If Alexis wants to come, we have a club for him right now. He can come to join us in China immediately.”