Chelsea assistant coach Steve Holland believes a transfer swoop for Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is impossible within the restrictions of financial fair play.

Reports have linked the Blues with an eye-watering £500million move for the Argentinian following claims Messi has fallen out with Barca manager Luis Enrique.

Messi would walk into any team in world football but Holland has admitted any team would be hard-pushed to put together a financial package to lure him from the Nou Camp.

"Jose has made it quite clear his expectations are that nobody comes and nobody goes during the transfer window,” Holland said. “We're perfectly happy with what we have.

Transfer talk: FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi

"It's not a decision I personally would make.

“When you look at the numbers being mentioned around Messi, I would think it's an impossible deal for any club working within the financial fair play rules."

Speculation over Messi’s future was further fuelled on Monday when - on the same day Barca sacked their director of football Andoni Zubizarreta - the player missed training through illness.

He later started following Chelsea and some of their players on Instagram.