Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini would reportedly be open to signing Barcelona's Lionel Messi in a deal worth £480m.

The four-time Ballon d'Or winner has been linked with a move away from Camp Nou, having claimed that he "does not know" where his future lies.

Chelsea have previously been tipped with a £200m transfer for the Argentina international, although The Sun suggests that Man City could now also be in the race to sign the prolific forward.

When asked about his side's rumoured interest in Messi, Pellegrini refused to play down speculation, saying: "It's normal we are linked with the best players in the market."

This has led to reports suggesting that the Citizens, who also landed Wilfried Bony for £28m yesterday, could now pay out the 27-year-old's £210m release clause, while offering him a six-year deal worth around £270m.

Messi has scored 390 goals in 482 appearances for Barcelona.