Chelsea assistant manager Steve Holland denied reports suggesting the team is making a strong push to acquire FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.

Sources indicated that Holland's club is among the teams who could buy the superstar from Barca, but Holland told reporters that acquiring Messi from FC Barcelona is almost impossible at this point.

Holland pointed out, however, that Messi has a buyout clause of 250 million Euros. Based on the recent amount mentioned in reports about a possible deal for Messi, Holland said buying Messi via a very lucrative deal is not possible because of FIFA's Financial Fair Play regulations.

"We've brought one or two players in over the last 12 months, but it's quite clear that players have been sold to balance the book," Holland said via Metro UK. "When you look at the numbers being mentioned around the Messi deal, I think it's almost an impossible deal for any club working within the restraints of financial fair play."

Holland also echoed Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho's recent statement, insisting they will not be very busy in the January transfer window as they are content with what they have at this point.

"Jose Mourinho has made it quite clear that nobody comes or goes. I recall he said something similar last year, but a couple of things happened which meant we had to be reactive. The hope and expectation is that nobody comes or goes," Holland said.

Talks about a possible deal between Chelsea and FC Barcelona for Messi intensified over the past several days after the superstar forward missed the club's annual traditional post-Christmas public training session. The club announced Messi missed the open-training session due to gastroenteritis, but rumors indicated Messi's absence had something to do with his rumored rift with coach Luis Enrique.

Messi also followed Chelsea and Cesc Fabregas' official account on Instagram, which further intensified speculation about the rumored move to Stamford Bridge.

Reports also suggested Fabregas is acting as middleman for Messi and Chelsea, but the veteran midfielder denied such rumors.

"It annoys me when people say I am the middleman in a move for Messi to Chelsea. I do not get involved in anything like that. I am a football player," Fabregas said via ESPN FC. "Leo is happy at Barca and Barca are happy with him. All this is more simple and normal than what has been made out of Leo following Chelsea on Instagram."

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