Barcelona presidential candidate Toni Freixa had admitted that it is "likely" Lionel Messi will join Manchester City this summer.

Messi's future has dominated the gossip columns following last week's shock news that he wants to leave Camp Nou after nearly two decades.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has been linked with the likes of Inter Milan, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, but Man City are the favourites to land his signature.

Argentina international Messi would get the chance to reunite with former Barca boss Pep Guardiola, and Freixa - in the running to succeed Josep Maria Bartomeu - acknowledged that a move could go through this year.

"I think a move to Man City is likely," he told Goal. "With Pep, Messi experienced his most brilliant years in Barcelona. It would only be logical if both of them worked together again.

"City, like almost all English clubs, also has the financial means to build a team that can win anything.

"In life everything comes to an end at some point, and even if there will no longer be a player like Messi, his departure would be a chance for Barca to develop into a team that is less dependent on a single player.

"Messi's influence on Barca's game has been immense in recent years. The style of play was designed to give him the ball and hope that he would do something magical with it.

"Without him, the collective would be more in demand again. That can also be liberating."

Messi, who has scored 634 goals in 731 appearances for Barca, has yet to report back to training for the Catalan giants.