Manchester City, the English Premier League team interested in signing soccer superstar Lionel Messi after he told Barcelona he wants to leave the Spanish powerhouse on Tuesday, are discussing the possibility of offering Messi a long-term deal that would move him to New York City FC of MLS after three years in the EPL, according to ESPN.

NYCFC is Manchester City's partner club in MLS.

City would also offer the 33-year-old the opportunity to become an ambassador for the City Football Group.

Messi told Barcelona he wants to leave the club on Tuesday following a rough year which saw them fall to Germany's Bayern Munich 8-2 in the Champions League quarterfinal. Manchester City has never won the European championship.

Still, Barcelona is hoping they can change Messi's mind before it's too late.

“We want to rebuild for the future together with the best player in history,” said the club's technical director, Ramon Planes. “We are not contemplating any departure on a contractual level because we want him to stay. We have to show a huge respect for Messi because he is the best player in the world.”

It is still not known if Messi can leave Barcelona for free or if the EPL club would have to negotiate a transfer fee, according to ESPN. Messi's contract, which runs through the 2021 season, has a €700 million release clause.

The Argentine forward has spent his entire 16-year professional career with Barcelona, winning 10 La Liga titles, four Champions League titles and six Copas del Rey titles in the process.