According to a recent rumour, Lionel Messi would sign with Inter Miami as a free agent before being loaned to Barcelona. The World Cup winner’s uncertain future is currently a big issue in football, as his impending departure from PSG raises doubts about where he will play next.
Currently, according to L’Equipe, Inter Miami and Barcelona are planning to work together to develop a buy-and-loan agreement that would see the MLS team purchase Lionel Messi before lending him to the Catalan powerhouses for 18 months.
Inter Miami ready to help barcelona sign Lionel Messi amid tight financial situation
It is believed that Lionel Messi would profit from the switch since he could keep playing at a high level leading up to the 2024 Copa America while also eventually navigating his way to the Major League Soccer. It may also resolve some of the financial issues that have functioned as possible roadblocks to Barcelona’s aspirations of outright signing him.
Long-running reports have also suggested that Lionel Messi may play football in Saudi Arabia, joining longtime rival and professional nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo. According to rumours, the Argentine has been given a two-year contract of €1.4 billion (£1.21 billion), which is double Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr salary.
Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer, has previously said that the league will make every effort to get Lionel Messi to the league. They are willing to break the law to assist Inter Miami in closing the sale since the player would be the biggest draw in football. CBS Sports questioned Garber about Messi when he was speaking to the sports editors of the Associated Press. He stated:
“There isn’t a league that wouldn’t like to have Lionel Messi in their league. There are a lot of dynamics that are going on there. He’s got a lot of things to think about in terms of where he wants to continue his career. I can tell you that we would love him in Major League Soccer.
“We will work very hard with Miami, who is the team that is hoping to be able to sign him, to come up with a program for him that will allow him to establish a legacy that I think could be unprecedented globally.”
After losing 1-0 to Montreal earlier this week, Inter Miami dropped to the bottom of the MLS’s Eastern Conference. In their past 12 league games, Phil Neville’s team has only managed two victories. Barcelona have also made it known that they are interested in bringing the Argentine superstar back two years after his left.
On the other hand, Neville and Miami have made no secret of their ambition to get Lionel Messi to Major League Soccer. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is soon expected to make a decision on his next move, as it is being claimed that his father, who also is his representative, wants to avoid a situation like the summer of 2021 where extension talks with Barcelona fell through in the last moment forcing his son to sign with PSG for free.