Manchester City transfer target Dani Olmo revealed that he once tried to refuse a picture with Lionel Messi back in his younger playing days.
The high-flying winger – who scored the opening goal in Spain's 2-1 win over Germany and set up their winner in extra time – is currently linked with a move to the Premier League champions with the club considering activating his €60million (£50.7m) release clause at RB Leipzig.
The Spaniard met six-time Ballon D'or winner Messi as a youngster and wasn't too happy at the time to have his game interrupted to take a picture with the elite player. Olmo joined Barcelona's famous La Masia academy in 2007 and spent seven years there before joining Dinamo Zagreb.
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However, Olmo actually met Messi while his dad was managing a football game at Castelldefels, and he actually tried to refuse the photo opportunity.
During an interview with The Players' Tribune, Olmo said: "One time, before I even joined La Masia, I accompanied my father while he was managing a game at Castelldefels.
"I was eight years old. I was playing happily by myself with a ball, when someone — I think it was a friend of my dad’s — came over and told me, ‘Hey, Dani, come here! You’re not going to believe this. You’re going to have your picture taken with Lionel Messi’!"
Olmo jokingly claimed the snap was taken "against his will" and he actually felt like he was doing Messi a "favour" by stopping his game time to pose for a picture. He said: "Apparently, Messi had a friend playing in the Castelldefels game and had come down to see him. Wow, Messi, right? In Castelldefels? What kid wouldn’t want their picture with him?
"Well, me! I was like, ‘No, thanks. I’m good. I want to keep playing! It’s just a picture, right?’
"But, against my will, they stuck me next to Messi and took the picture. I didn’t even say anything to him. I just waited for the click and then I went back to my ball, like I was doing him a favour."
The Spain star added: "In the end, I have to say I’m glad they forced me, because I’ve still got that picture framed at home. At the time though, I wasn’t happy to have my valuable playing time interrupted — even by an icon."
Olmo left Barcelona in 2014 without making a single first team appearance for the club and joined Dinamo Zagreb, where he quickly became an important figure in the dressing room.
The Spaniard then joined Leipzig in January 2020 - despite being linked with a return to Barca - and is now attracting City interest thanks to his impressive run with Spain in Euro 2024.
Sky Sports has reported that City are yet to make "concrete contact" with Olmo over the move, despite the player being keen on a move to England.
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