Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has refused to shutdown talk of a bid for Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi. Only Pellegrini's club, Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Paris Saint Germain and maybe Bayern Munich could contemplate a £200 million deal for the Argentinian superstar if his relationship with Barcelona deteriorates to the stage where a parting is inevitable.

Pellegrini accepts the link with Messi even though that's as far as it goes right now.

He admitted: "We are an important team at this moment because we are one team that can buy players, the same as six, seven, eight or nine different teams.

"Maybe the link here is because of Txiki Begiristain (football director and former Barcelona official). But I don't think it's a situation inside the club that anybody has talked about.

"It's difficult to think of Barcelona without Messi but I repeat, I don't know what is happening with Barcelona or what will happen with Messi."