Lionel Messi 'would cost £1m per week amid Man Utd, Man City speculation'

Manchester United and Manchester City would allegedly have to pay Lionel Messi £1m per week in order to sign the forward from Barcelona.

After a public dispute with sporting director Eric Abidal, Messi has been linked with a potential move away from Camp Nou in the summer.

Manchester City reportedly regard themselves as favourites for the 32-year-old, while United would also likely take the opportunity to bid for the Argentina international.

However, according to European football expert Kristof Terreur, the Premier League giants would have to break their wage structure in order to accommodate Messi.

Referring to a previous Football Leaks report, Terreur says that the attacker earns £988,000 per week before bonuses and image rights are taken into account.

Nevertheless, United or City would benefit from Messi being allowed to leave Barcelona on a free transfer due to a clause in his contract.