Messi tells Barcelona: Sign Aguero from Man City and I'll sign new contract - Sources
Lionel Messi has told Barcelona to sign Sergio Aguero from Man City this summer, Football Insider has learned.
City announced on Monday that their record goalscorer will leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.
A Spanish source has told Football Insider that Barcelona are firmly in pole position to recruit the 32-year-old striker.
It is said that Messi has made the capture of Aguero a key condition of him signing a blockbuster new Barca contract this summer.
This site revealed earlier this month on 19th March that Messi is veering towards staying at Barcelona and penning another blockbuster contract with the club he has spent his entire career.
That would end City's own hopes of luring the all-time great for what would be a final sensational swansong.
The Premier League leaders have held discussions with Messi's camp, starting last summer when the player tried to engineer his exit from Camp Nou.
But the recent election of Joan Laporta as Barcelona president for the second time is key to a change of stance from Messi.
He is ready to negotiate a new deal and insist upon linking up with his fellow Argentine at club level for the first time.
Messi has huge sway at Barcelona and his influence is likely to be key to potential signings as well as the future of manager Ronald Koeman.
Aguero has been a bit-part figure at Etihad Stadium this season but his place in City folklore is long secure.
He has scored a remarkable 257 goals in 384 appearances for the club and has also been capped 97 times by Argentina.