Man City will reportedly sign Lionel Messi. The club is putting together a "stunning financial package" in excess of £200M ($247M) in a bid to land the player. Man City bosses "are drawing up a plan" that will see it pay Barça a world-record transfer fee in excess of £100M ($123.5M) as well as handing Messi a basic wage of £500,000 ($617,500)-a-week. Messi has a £215M ($265.5M) buy-out clause in his current deal but his contract will expire in '18, and Barcelona "knows" it will be "forced to sell the four-time World Footballer of the Year next summer or risk losing him for nothing 12 months later" (London DAILY MIRROR, 11/20).
EPL side Sunderland's Stadium of Light "was plunged into darkness" early in the second half of its game against Hull City on Saturday afternoon when the floodlights failed. Fans "were forced to light up the stadium with their mobile phones" as referee Lee Mason took the players off the pitch for around 10 minutes with Sunderland up 1-0 (DAILY MIRROR, 11/19).
Hong Kong Premier League club Southern "threatened to take legal action" against the Hong Kong FA over its eligibility to take part in the AFC Champions League. The club is angry it has "yet to receive an official response from the governing body" and has not ruled out taking the case to court if the FA decides to take responsibility for an "alleged administrative blunder." The district team was one of two clubs slated to represent Hong Kong in the 2017 Asian Champions League along with Kitchee "following a board resolution in August, but their participation may now be in danger following recent reports on qualifying rules" (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 11/20).
