Chelsea assistant coach Steve Holland has poured cold water over the rumours regarding the club’s interest in signing Lionel Messi, saying Financial Fair Play makes it ‘impossible’.
The Argentine attacker is understood to be unhappy at Barcelona and would be open to a move away from the Catalan giants. However, his €250 million buy-out clause is too high for any club to balance their books, according to Manchester Evening News.
Facing the press in place of the absent manager Jose Mourinho, Holland said on Friday: "Jose has made it quite clear his expectations are that nobody comes and nobody goes during the transfer window. We're perfectly happy with what we have.
“Sometimes a club has to be reactive, but the hope is that nobody leaves or arrives. We’re happy with what we have.”
"It's not a decision I personally would make. When you look at the numbers being mentioned around Messi, I would think it's an impossible deal for any club working within the financial fair play rules."
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