The longer Messi waited to sign a new contract with the Spanish giants, the more he was linked with a move to Pep Guardiola's side.
City did everything in their power to try and lure him to Manchester, but according to 'Marca', even their final offer of a €100m signing-on fee plus a €50m annual salary was rejected by the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Despite all the speculation, the Spanish media outlet claimed that Messi 'would not have left' as he is happy in Barcelona and has complete control of the club.
Eventually, Messi put pen to paper on a new deal with the current La Liga leaders that saw him overtake Neymar as the highest paid footballer on the planet.