One bookie has cut odds into as short as 13/10...
*Updated odds on 25th August below this article.
Manchester City have been punted into commanding favourites for the next permanent club of Barcelona legend Lionel Messi.
The Spanish side’s 8-2 humbling on Friday has seen punters lump on Messi leaving Barcelona – with 61% of all bets since the hammering all backing City.
That’s prompted bookies to cut odds on a reunion between Pep Guardiola and Messi, from 6/1 into 3/1 best price.
One firm is going one step further and has cut odds all the way into 13/10, indicating a 43.5% chance that Messi is playing at the Etihad next season.
Elsewhere, Inter Milan have also been popular with punters, and are available at 3/1 to sign the Argentine maestro.
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PSG follow next at the longer odds of 11/1, then comes any South American team (16/1), Liverpool (16/1), Manchester United (20/1) and Juventus (25/1).
Tottenham are on the periphery of the market at 33/1, followed by Chelsea (33/1), Ac Milan (33/1), Bayern Munich (33/1) and Arsenal (33/1).
Leading football stats providers WhoScored.com revealed that Messi was the first player to register 20+ goals and 20+ assists in the same La Liga season – which had never been done before in Spain.
In fact, the last time it happened in any of Europe's top five leagues was Thierry Henry in 2002/03.
Oddschecker spokesperson Callum Wilson: "Barcelona's embarrassing Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern looks to be the final straw for Lionel Messi.
"The Argentine has been the club's talisman for so many years, but the temptation for a new challenge, particularly under his old gaffer Pep Guardiola, does look an awfully tempting prospect."
Lionel Messi next club odds (updated 25/08):
To Stay at Barcelona – Evens
Man City - 2/1
PSG - 8/1
Inter Milan - 12/1
Any South American Team – 12/1
Manchester United– 16/1
Newells Old Boys – 16/1
Any Argentinean Club – 20/1
