Lionel Messi is a player who is capable of elevating the level of those around him, according to Pep Guardiola.
The former Barcelona boss has seen at first hand what the 30-year-old is capable of - and believes that he has benefitted from the Argentine's talents.
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He told 'The Premier League Show': “He is the best player ever. Messi is the beauty - he makes managers better, he makes team-mates better.
The Argentine is still to finalise the penning of fresh terms at Camp Nou, with his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2018.
Barca revealed in July that an agreement had been reached, and have since reiterated that Messi is playing under a new contract, but no formal announcement has been made.
That has helped to keep the rumour mill ticking over, with City one of few clubs in world football that could afford to finance a transfer if the 30-year-old were to become available.
Guardiola would likely head that queue, but he cannot see a move being made, despite the South American being more than capable of testing himself on an English stage.
“He would be good in the Premier League but I think Barcelona is the right place to finish his career.”
Messi has been in dazzling form for Barca over recent weeks, with the 2017-18 campaign delivering 12 goals in just 10 appearances.
He now has 519 efforts for the club, while he is just seven appearances short of 600.
City, meanwhile, are faring just fine without having Messi on their books.
Their star-studded squad has started to click into gear, with 24 goals plundered in their last six outings across all competitions.
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