Football transfer rumours: Lionel Messi to Chelsea or Manchester City?

'Out of my way, I need to get to Instagram.' Photograph: Alvaro Barrientos/AP


Some people believe they have seen face of Jesus in a piece of toast, some people hear coded instructions in Michael Jackson’s lyrics, and some people believe that if Lionel Messi follows Thibaut Courtois and Felipe Luís on Instagram, then the Argentinian tease is definitely on the verge of a move toChelsea. The Manchester Evening News laughs at such conclusions – because it reckons that Messi’s ideal destination, to which he will travel while competing with Kobe Bryant to impress a young boy, is Manchester. So when City and Barcelona face each other in the Champions League next month, City will in fact be auditioning for the role of Messi’s new employer. The stakes for that clash then have just got higher: can Manuel Pellegrini be trusted to mastermind the victory that is required over Barcelona? Or should the club’s owners pull out all the stop and hire David Moyes pronto?

Speaking of City, they will have no say whatsoever in whether Sunderland sign defender Virgil van Dijk from Celtic.

Here’s a thing: Andrej Kramaric is to join Leicester after turning down a move to Chelsea. It seems the Croatian striker had agreed a salary and everything with the London club but was then turned off by the revelation that he would be sent out on loan straight away, so decided to thrown himself into the sincere embrace of the Leicester instead.

Xherdan Shaqiri is continuing to size up the relative merits of Liverpool and Internazionale. Liverpool were reported to have outbid the Italians yesterday, now the Italians are said to have trumped the Reds’ salary offer. Who’s to say what tomorrow could bring?

Javier Hernández, meanwhile, is wondering who he will hook up with next, as he apparently will be sold by Manchester United at the end of the season following his loan at Real Madrid. Italian midfielder Thiago Motta, on the other hand, could be on his way to Old Trafford, although Milan and Real Madrid are also believed to be interested in the PSG midfielder. Well, reported to be, at least. PSG intend to replace him with either Sami Khedira or Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko.

United have also spotted an opportunity to deepen the pain of Leedsfans so will make a move for the club’s much-loved 17-year-old midfielder, Lewis Cook, who is also being courted by Liverpool, Arsenaland Tottenham. Leeds’s ability to continue producing top-quality products while being run so shoddily has led to the club being compared to [disgruntled employees insert the name of your company here].

Wilfried Bony is said to have told Swansea City that he would be interested in hearing any offers from Champions League clubs if any were to be made. The Ivorian has also confirmed that grass is often green and water always wet.

Finally, Tottenham Hotspur are going to open the bidding on Fabian Delph, who will soon be out of contract at Aston Villa, which is why Spurs think £3m is a reasonable offer.

The Guardian