According to one source, Guardiola's side have adopted the best approach with their pursuit of La Pulga, unlike PSG.

Rumors linking Man City with a move for Lionel Messi have died down recently, but that does not mean interest in the Argentine has cooled off. In fact, according to ESPN, the Premier League giants remain keen on landing the Barcelona legend and are set to begin talks with him next month.

The Citizens were one of many clubs eyeing the six-time Ballon d'Or winner over the summer and were said to be the favorites to land him after the 33-year-old handed in a Camp Nou transfer request. However, the Blaugrana forced their captain to stay for the final year of his contract, ending any hopes of a reunion with Guardiola for 2020/21.

La Pulga's future remains up in the air as he is yet to decide whether he will leave Catalonia or not. He is free to negotiate with other clubs and as a result, PSG, who are heavily interested in the Argentine, have been making noise. Neymar, Di Maria, Verratti, Pochettino, and sporting director Leonardo have all spoken openly about Leo.

However, just because Guardiola's side have not been making similar noise, that does not mean they've bowed out of the race to land Messi. In fact, one source told ESPN that the Citizens have adopted the right approach by keeping things private and out of the headlines.

"PSG are making a mistake with the strategy they're using," the source said.

"Leo doesn't like all that noise in the media and even less the type of comments [which have been made]."

The Etihad Stadium staff have kept in contact with Messi's representatives and are simply waiting until March or April to make a move. Whether the Argentine icon will reunite with Pep at Man City or Neymar at PSG remains unclear. The 33-year-old is unlikely to make a decision until the end of the season and is open to discussions with whomever wins the March 7 Barcelona presidential elections, meaning he could choose to remain in Spain.