Manchester City handed Pep Guardiola a shiny new contract earlier this week.
The former Barcelona manager put pen to paper on Friday, ending speculation over his future.
His old deal had seven months to run but he has now extended his stay until 2023, and that could take his reign to a length of seven years, his longest ever reign at a club.
He has been filling the trophy cabinet since his appointment at City, winning the Premier League twice, the FA Cup once, the EFL Cup three times, and the Community Shield twice.
Of course, Guardiola has also spent a fortune in the transfer market, and he has now been tipped to sign Lionel Messi after committing his future to the club.
The Argentine worked under Guardiola between 2008 and 2012 and enjoyed a genuinely incredible run of form, scoring 211 goals in 219 games and also providing 91 assists.
He even scored 50 goals in one La Liga season in 11/12 across 37 games and one has to imagine that another link-up with his former manager from Camp Nou would appeal to Messi.
He attempted to leave the club in the summer, after all, but was eventually convinced to stay, albeit somewhat reluctantly.
And Trevor Sinclair, the former City midfielder, believes City will sign him, as his contract expires at the end of the season.
Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: “For me, you look at what has gone one with him signing a new two-year contract, there are rumours Kevin De Bruyne is going to sign a new contract… I think Messi is inevitable.
“I can’t see anything other than that. And I look at the club I supported, ‘little old Manchester City’, signing the best player in the world and possibly winning the Champions League…”
He added: “I can’t see it any other way.
“He is too young to go back to Argentina, and I don’t think there is any other club where they have the right manager in place where Messi would go in and feel comfortable under that manager.
“I feel it is inevitable it is going to happen… and I can’t wait for it to happen!”
GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…
One can’t really argue with Sinclair’s argument here.
Messi does clearly want to leave and a reunion with Guardiola, as previously mentioned, has to be in the back of his mind.
Having backed Guardiola by handing him that new deal, it is again time for City to go to bat for him in the transfer market.
If that means bringing in one of the best players in world football, then so be it.
If it happens, this would be a genuinely astonishing deal.