Former Premier League midfielder Trevor Sinclair thinks the prospect of Lionel Messi joining Manchester City may be the reason behind the failed attempts to get Kevin de Bruyne to sign a new deal.

City are desperate for the Belgian playmaker to extend his stay at the Etihad, with De Bruyne’s current contract expiring in 2023.

The 29-year-old rejected their first offer, however, and is said to believe he is worth a higher wage given his reputation as arguably the best player in the Premier League.

City have been strongly linked with a move for six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, who is set to leave Barcelona at the end of the season.

And speaking to talkSPORT, Sinclair said: “De Bruyne hasn’t even got an agent, he’s acting for himself, which I think is fantastic,” Sinclair said.

“He knows his worth; if you don’t know your worth at 29-years old then you’ve got something wrong.

“But what he might’ve said is that he wants to be the top-paid player regardless of who comes in. That’s a problem for City if they’re serious about signing Messi.

“De Bruyne’s wages could go up an astronomical amount if he wants to be on bigger wages than Messi.”