Manchester City fullback Pablo Zabaleta retains hope of convincing Barcelona star Lionel Messi about moving to the Premier League giants. Zabaleta could be a useful ally in 'Operation Messi' and he will not rule out his mate one day running out in the blue of City.
"You always expect the best players to be in the Premier League and I think every single player in the world always wants to come here. It would also mean they will make this league even better, so we'll see," Zabaleta told the Mail on Sunday.
They have spoken together about City in the past.
"Three months after I signed for City [in 2008], I went back to Barcelona because we had a couple of days off. I went to his house and everybody was talking about the new owners, the big money - and that is why we were talking about Manchester City."
And what could Zabaleta offer Messi as an incentive to join City?
"Maybe I could take him out to Didsbury for fish and chips. I think he'd like that! Spain is more similar to our life in South America. It's practically the same thing, same language, same culture. It is different here but after six years I can say I am a Mancunian."
