Manchester United have explored the possibility of signing Lionel Messi from Barcelona in what could be the biggest transfer in football history.
According to the Daily Mail, the Reds have made two approaches in the past three weeks to see if Messi, who has scored a staggering 453 goals in 531 games at Barca, would possibly leave the club where he made his name.
The 28-year-old’s current deal at the Nou Camp expires in 2018 and any move United make will surely smash the £85.3 million world record transfer fee that Real Madrid paid Tottenham for Gareth Bale back in 2013.
And there are signs that Messi could be unhappy in Spain – with sources telling the Daily Mail that he has been ‘hurt and frustrated’ by the media attention in Spain surrounding his involvement in a tax evasion case.
The Argentinian captain and his father are accused of using a chain of fake companies in Belize and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on £3.2million of income earned through the sale of his image rights from 2007-09.
And with Messi seeking certain assurances in his new contract, there may not be a better opportunity for a big European club to swoop in and woo Messi away. United are looking to do so.
However, any move will most likely take place next season, but only if José Mourinho has United playing Champions League football again in the 2017-18 season.
