United are the only English club who could afford the Argentine.
Manchester United are now the clear frontrunners in the race to sign iconic Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, report the Guardian, because UEFA Financial Fair Play restrictions mean that the Red Devils are the only Premier League club who could afford to activate his £195 million release clause.
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Messi has been strongly linked with Chelsea and Manchester City recently, but the report suggests that neither of those clubs could afford the financial commitment required, with United’s huge commercial revenues giving them a crucial advantage.
On the day that he missed out on another Ballon d’Or title to Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi stoked the fires of speculation with a move away from the Nou Camp by claiming that he does not know where he’ll be playing his football next season.
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