Real Madrid president Florentino Perez follows Messi's moves closely
Florentino Perez has never lost sight of the movements of Lionel Messi, since the Argentine began to emerge at Barcelona.
The Real Madrid president has followed Messi closely with a mixture of admiration and resignation, and has not been surprised by what has come to pass in the last few days.
Quite the contrary, Florentino knows first-hand there are few clubs that can afford to sign Messi, but Real Madrid is one of them, as the president has informed those in his inner circle.
In fact, there are only two. Real Madrid, an economic giant, and England's Manchester United.
They are looking to regain their status as one of the world's top clubs and Louis van Gaal is steering the ship.
Despite rumours linking Messi to Manchester City, Florentino knows that only the other Manchester club can afford the Argentine.
City are bound hand and foot by UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules, and Chelsea too, Perez thinks, don't seem to have sufficient capacity to consider paying Messi's clause, which is €250million.
The prospect of seeing Messi dressed in white, however, is just as remote as Barcelona fans would imagine.
But still Florentino tracks everything, aware of anything that could lead to the possibility of the two giants of world football teaming up.
Those two have won all the Ballon d'Ors since 2008. And as Cristiano said in Zurich yesterday, about Messi and Manuel Neuer: "I woud like to play with these two companions."
