Lionel Messi has seemingly never been closer to leaving Barcelona.
The thought of the six-time Ballon d'Or winner turning out for a club side other than the Blaugrana seems unfathomable, but multiple reports are claiming that he's growing frustrated at Camp Nou.
It's been a tough season for the Catalans after relinquishing the La Liga crown to Real Madrid, crashing out of the Copa del Rey and suffering yet more Champions League heartbreak.
Would Messi leave Barca?
You can't help feeling that the 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich, in all its utter humiliation, was the final straw for many involved at the club and it seems as though wholesale changes are on the horizon.
It wasn't long before Quique Setien's head rolled after the quarter-final elimination with Ronald Koeman coming into replace him, while established members of the squad could also be sold.
And while Messi isn't one of the names being teed up for a transfer, the 33-year-old has it within his power to force a move away when you consider his current contract expires in 2021.
Potential Man City interest
But leaving Barcelona is one thing, a club flexing the financial power to sign him is another thing and it's hard to say with any certainty which sides would be the leading contenders.
Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and even Juventus are amongst the clubs to have been linked, but the Pep Guardiola connection seems to make Manchester City one of the more sensible options.
It's a mouth-watering thought for English football fans who have pondered how Messi would perform in the Premier League for the last 15 years - and we could be closer than ever to the answer.
Messi-Man City simulation
Regardless of whether that's going to be the case, however, the closest we can come in the mean time is by running simulations and that's where YouTuber 'TheMasterBucks' comes in.
He decided to ride the wave of Messi speculation by simulating how the Barcelona superstar would perform in the Premier League as a Manchester City player with interesting results.
You can check out the full video down or keep scrolling for our breakdown of the findings:
2020/21 season
Messi appearances: 51
Messi goals: 9
Messi assists: 4
Trophies: FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Community Shield
2021/22 season
Messi appearances: 60
Messi goals: 14
Messi assists: 7
Trophies: Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League
2022/23 season
Messi appearances: 65
Messi goals: 3
Messi assists: 2
Trophies: Premier League, Champions League and UEFA Super Cup
Would Messi fail?
So, there you have it, the world of FIFA seems to suggest that although Messi would enjoy plenty of team success as a City player, individual form would prove difficult to come by.
Let's not beat around the bush, some of those statistics, while not awful for a player in their thirties, are miles behind the sort of goal and assist tallies we've come to expect from Messi.
But, of course, FIFA 20 is by no means the forecasting tool to live and die by and despite the fact Messi moving to the Premier League at 33 would indeed be a risk, you wouldn't back against him rising to the challenge.
