Chelsea will pay Messi fee

Cape Town - With continued speculation that Lionel Messi is growing increasingly frustrated with life at the Nou Camp, Chelsea are lining up a move for the Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.

Read: Messi on the move?

The Daily Star report Chelsea are interested in signing Lionel Messi and will pay the £200 million it will take to buy the player out of his Barcelona contract.

The British newspaper report that Barcelona are aware of Chelsea's intentions to take advantage of the player's current unhappiness.

In November, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho labelled the Messi to Chelsea rumours as "obviously not true” but that was a long time before Messi and Barcelona coach Luis Enrique's much-publicised bust up. (Read that story HERE!)

Chelsea will need to fork out another £200 million in wages if they are to sign the Argentine on a four or five year deal, which the Stamford Bridge based club is willing to do.

As a result of the ongoing speculation of a bust-up between coach and player, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has called on club elections in order to assert some authority.