Chinese Super League side Hebei China Fortune are willing to break the bank to lure Lionel Messi away from Barcelona, according to a report.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is said to have turned down wages of £1.7m a week to join the Far Eastern club prior to signing a new deal at Camp Nou in November.
Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo claims that Hebei are not ready to admit defeat, though, and are already putting everything in place to land world football's biggest name further down the line.
Despite Messi having a £626m buyout clause in his contract, the report indicates that Hebei have not been put off and hope the arrivals of Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Mascherano - close friends of the superstar forward - will be enough to convince him.
Manuel Pellegrini's side will reportedly rely on the financial support of global companies to help fund their audacious offer.
Written by
Daniel Lewis
Daniel Lewis
