Lionel Messi 'rejected £850,000 a week at Manchester City'

Lionel Messi allegedly turned down an offer worth £850,000 a week in wages from Manchester City in order to pen a new contract with Barcelona.

The 30-year-old had been linked with an exit from Camp Nou over the last few months as he stalled on signing a new deal with the La Liga giants, with a move to big-spending City said to be his most realistic option.

According to Marca, City repeatedly courted the Argentine striker's representatives - allegedly without the permission of Barcelona - and submitted a top offer worth £850,000 a week in wages as well as a signing-on bonus of £88m.

Messi's existing contract with Barca was due to expire next summer, meaning that he could have officially begun talks with City in January, but he instead signed a new deal last week keeping him in Catalonia until 2021 on reported weekly wages of £500,000.

Speaking after the new deal was announced, Messi outlined his intention to end his playing career with Barcelona.