Barcelona's Argentinian striker Lionel Messi celebrates scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League group C football match between Celtic and Barcelona at Celtic Park in Glasgow on November 23, 2016. / AFP / Paul ELLIS
Manchester United are exploring the possibility of paying Lionel Messi to stay at Barcelona, in a bid to stop him moving to rivals Manchester City.
In a rather bizarre move, United kit manufacturers Adidas are worried about the status of the club and fear that a Messi move to Manchester City would decrease the ever declining United stock.
Thus, Adidas are apparently willing to work as a third party, according to The Sun.
How will it work?
Stay with us with this one, it’s a bit complicated.
Adidas will work on behalf of United to increase their own deal with Messi, as Adidas currently have the rights to Messi’s image and advertising.
The German brand will offer Messi £85 million in a revamped deal to see out the remainder of his contract at the Camp Nou, which lasts until 2021.
Manchester United will then offer Messi a further £41 million in signing on bonuses to join the Red Devils when his contract expires.
The ethics of this complicated transfer, if we can call it a transfer, mean this remains unlikely, however, as FIFA would have to sanction and approve any deals.
