Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta fears seeing Lionel Messi leave for Manchester City before the transfer deadline falls.

Laporta took to Twitter to criticise Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu with Yahoo France reporting that Manchester City are ready to pay Messi's 300 million euro buy-out clause.

"If we want Messi to continue being happy here at Barcelona then we need to get rid of Bartomeu immediately," he wrote.

Laporta was beaten by Bartomeu in the previous presidential elections and is considering standing again at the next opportunity.