Owen Hargreaves identifies the perfect false nine for Manchester City

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Owen Hargreaves has told BT Sport that Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi would be the perfect false nine for Manchester City, with the Argentine out of contract at the end of the season – as Pep Guardiola looks to bring in a striker this summer.

Messi, 33, has been in sparkling form once again this season. The Argentina and Barcelona captain has had a hand in 39 goals during 36 games despite some tricky Barcelona form at the beginning of the season under Ronald Koeman.

His long-term future remains in doubt – while his contract remains in the perilous situation it is currently in. But it is widely believed that despite his contract, Messi will remain at Barcelona for another season or two.

However, the chances to reunite with Pep Guardiola and taste Premier League football might prove tantalising. Hargreaves and the BT Sport panel were discussing who City could sign, and Hargreaves believes Messi would be perfect.

“The way they play now, Messi is the perfect false nine for them,” Hargreaves said, after City’s 2-0 second-leg win over Borussia Monchengladbach. “As that false nine, in terms of goals and assists – could you imagine him in there?”

TBR’s view – Do City have a chance of landing Messi?

While Guardiola remains in charge, of course they do. But realistically, it would take something drastic to see Messi leave Barcelona – a club where he has clocked up 767 appearances in all competitions.

Should he remain at Barcelona, there is a real chance he could turn out 1000 times for the Spanish giants before he retires. Despite a poor start to his reign, Koeman has guided Barcelona to second in La Liga and are in the Copa Del Rey final.

City have a chance, a small one. But the likelihood is that Messi remains at Barca.