MANCHESTER -- Manuel Pellegrini has downplayed suggestions Manchester City could move for Barcelona's record goalscorer Lionel Messi.
Spanish newspaper El Confidencial, citing anonymous sources, said that the four-time World Player of the Year will leave the country because he is threatened with a jail term in a row over unpaid tax.
City chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain know Messi from their time together at the Camp Nou, and the player hinted to Argentine newspaper Ole last week that his future was uncertain beyond the end of the 2014-15 campaign.
But while former Real Madrid manager Pellegrini congratulated Messi for becoming La Liga's record goalscorer, he preferred to ignore the latest suggestions the 27-year-old will join his squad.
"The rumours are only rumours," Pellegrini told a news conference. "What he did was exceptional and there are few players that can reach his level. The record he has got reflects how important he is for Barcelona."
Messi has now scored 253 La Liga goals and 368 for Barcelona in all competitions, and City defender Martin Demichelis -- who was sent off for fouling him in a 2-0 defeat in last season's Champions League - concurred with his manager.
"I am happy for his record," he said. "For me it is not a surprise any more, what he is doing. I don't think I should give an opinion about the rumours before such an important game."
City face Demichelis' former club Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday, with the German league leaders having already booked their place in the last-16.
The English club are yet to win in Europe and have only claimed two points in four games, and Demichelis believes that Bayern will not relax despite having won the group.
"I know the German mentality is always the same," he said. "Germans work as they think and I am sure they will come here to win. It won't be easy. It may be they won't field their strongest starting XI but they have the quality of players in the squad and on the bench."
Real Madrid are the defending champions but Demichelis thinks Bayern are the best team in the Champions League, adding: "It will be a very tough game playing against the best team in the competition."