Lionel Messi ‘talked out of Manchester City move by Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez’

Posted Sunday, June 25, 2017 by squawka.com

A heart-to-heart talk with Luis Suarez convinced Lionel Messi to remain at Barcelona last summer when it seemed he was Manchester City bound.

The 30-year-old Argentinian forward, according to Mundo Deportivo as reported by the Daily Mirror, requested a move to England before changing his mind.

Messi was keen to reunite with former Cule manager Pep Guardiola, seemingly unhappy with events at the Camp Nou, but a dinner with teammate Suarez reassured him ending any desire to leave.

Manchester City's loss has been Barcelona's gain, with him going on to register 54 goals and 19 assists across 52 matches last season, including a hat-trick against them in the Champions League.

Since breaking into Barça first-team under Frank Rijkaard in 2004, he's gone on to amass an incredible 510 goals, as well as creating a further 231, in 585 appearances.

Goalscoring and creating aside, his all-round play earned him five Ballon d'Or crowns, enabling the Catalan giants to eight La Liga titles and four European Cups.

Widely considered an all-time great, Messi's current deal expires in 2018, but given the emotional connection he's built in Spain's second largest city and its reaffirmation, it's hard to see him playing for another giant of European football.

There's always the option of being a one-club man, but Messi seems genuinely sincere when promising in the past he will put on childhood team Newell's Old Boys colours for the first time as a senior professional.