Ornstein: Inter Miami increasingly confident of signing Lionel Messi
It was another weekend to remember for Lionel Messi as the legendary attacker maintained his superb form at Paris Saint-Germain and showed that he is still one of the game’s finest players.
Following a difficult start to life in the French capital, Messi is excelling again this season and that will delight PSG and Argentina fans before the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
It also increases the anticipation around a major decision regarding Messi’s club future, with the 35-year-old’s deal at the Parc des Princes scheduled to expire next summer.
Reports suggest PSG will push hard to extend his contract. He has also been linked with Inter Miami CF and a return to Barcelona.
The most advanced of those options is understood to be Inter Miami, to the extent that the Major League Soccer franchise now expect Messi to arrive and hope he will sign in the coming months.
Discussions between the two parties have been going on for a couple of years and there is increasing confidence that the proposed transfer will materialise.
Jorge and Jose Mas — the brothers who co-own Inter Miami alongside David Beckham — are leading the negotiations and numerous meetings have taken place with the star’s father, Jorge.
Beckham, Neville, Jorge Mas and Chris Henderson have helped Inter Miami take positive steps these season (Photo: Getty Images)
No more conversations are anticipated until the Wold Cup finishes and most probably early 2023, at which point Messi can put pen to paper on a pre-contract agreement with a foreign team.
If he picks Inter Miami, it will be an extraordinary achievement for them and the league. Messi would arguably be the most high-profile acquisition in the history of the competition. The impact he could have on football in the United States, especially as it gears up to jointly host the 2026 World Cup, is another factor appealing to everyone involved in the dialogue.
Inter Miami have always known that a move to their city is a source of attraction for Messi’s family, who already own a property there. Miami’s community links with South America are strong, too.
But the club — established in 2018 and contesting MLS matches since 2020 — are developing a pull of their own, amid improved displays on the pitch and structural progress behind the scenes.
Head coach Phil Neville and sporting director Chris Henderson are considered to have overseen an encouraging campaign after Inter Miami caused something of a surprise by reaching the play-offs, and player exits mean they have a chance to significantly bolster their squad for 2023.
Of greater importance is the permission that was recently granted for construction to begin on Miami Freedom Park, a $1billion (£860m) stadium complex that will give Inter Miami a spectacular home.
After a tumultuous period post-launch — they entered MLS during the COVID-19 pandemic and were later punished for breaking budget rules — Inter Miami appear to be advancing and in 2022, they experienced the biggest jump of any franchise in a valuation rankings table produced by Sportico.
All of this should ensure they are fairly well equipped to welcome someone of Messi’s standing. The powerbrokers were together for the season-ending defeat at New York City on October 18 and Beckham was back with his colleagues last week to continue planning, with Messi firmly in their thoughts.
Equally, the intricacy and unpredictability of such situations — particularly given the rival interest over Messi — means Inter Miami must simultaneously prepare for alternatives. Beckham and the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner share a good relationship but the Mas brothers are spearheading the pursuit. They will desperately hope that it comes to fruition.
Arsenal make contract offer to Saliba
Arsenal demolished Nottingham Forest to reclaim top spot in the Premier League. Their attacking flair will dominate the headlines but it was another result underpinned by defensive solidity.
The 5-0 win meant Arsenal have kept eight clean sheets in 17 games across all competitions this season, allowing only 14 goals along the way, and among their key men has been William Saliba.
After moving to the Emirates Stadium from Saint-Etienne for £27million ($31.3m) in 2019, the centre-back was sent on three consecutive loan spells and it generated speculation about where his future may lie.
But even before the 21-year-old cemented a place in Mikel Arteta’s starting line-up, there was a desire from the Arsenal hierarchy to extend his contract — which is due to run until 2023, with the option of a further 12 months.
The France international recently addressed the subject when he said “they talk a little bit” in reference to preliminary discussions between the club and his representatives over a new deal.
Those early talks have since turned into formal negotiations and Arsenal have now made an offer. There is no agreement so far but the dialogue will continue, as the north London side try to tie down a player who appears fundamental to Arteta’s team and has many admirers across Europe.
De Zerbi keen to sign Shakhtar defender Matviyenko in January
Roberto de Zerbi ended the wait for his first win as Brighton & Hove Albion head coach on Saturday as Chelsea, managed by his predecessor Graham Potter, were well beaten at the Amex Stadium.
After five games without victory, the Italian guided Brighton to an iconic result that should help settle him into the role and kick-start his attempts to continue their upward trajectory.
Brighton play three more games before the World Cup break and by the time the Premier League resumes on December 26, the focus of many sides will be shifting to the January transfer window.
Although Brighton traditionally prefer not to do business in winter, it will be the first market since De Zerbi took over and therefore a chance to make changes to the squad he inherited from Potter.
A small number of players whom the 43-year-old covets have already been discussed internally and an option he is particularly keen to pursue is the Shakhtar Donetsk defender Mykola Matviyenko.
De Zerbi managed Matviyenko at Shakhtar and sources with knowledge of the situation say he is determined to recruit the left-sided centre-back, who could around €20million (£17.2m).
Matviyenko was coached by De Zerbi, who would like to work with him again (Photo: David S Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)
In line with Brighton’s recruitment model, any potential signing has to go through a thorough process and if a decision is taken to proceed then club-to-club negotiations will be instigated.
That has not occurred so far — which indicates the situation is not advanced and that Matviyenko is more of a De Zerbi target for now — however, Brighton do have knowledge of the 26-year-old Ukraine international and are familiar with the attributes and experience he possesses.
Being left-footed and capable of building from the back has led Manchester City and Arsenal to consider him previously, so Brighton might not be alone if De Zerbi’s interest develops.
Brighton’s impressive trading has put them in a strong financial position and therefore it is viable for them to back the new head coach with acquisitions if there is a consensus to do so.
Meanwhile, there is an expectation at Brighton that head of recruitment Paul Winstanley will be their latest employee to join Chelsea. An agreement has yet to be reached but that is the direction of travel and it would see Winstanley follow Potter and five other staff members to Stamford Bridge.
Admirers watch as Juventus step up contract talks with rising English star Iling-Junior
Juventus prospect Samuel Iling-Junior shot to prominence last week after making an immediate impact at domestic and European level.
The highly rated winger came off the bench for his Champions League debut at Benfica last week, providing an assist in a 4-3 loss. He then did the same at Lecce on Saturday as Juventus kept in touch with the top four thanks to a 1-0 victory in only his second Serie A appearance.
Iling-Junior is an England youth international who has been capped up to under-20 level. He has gone somewhat under the radar since moving to Juventus from Chelsea in 2020 but, following his first-team bow against Empoli on October 21, he is now beginning to show his ability and potential on the biggest stage. This has not gone unnoticed among clubs from the Premier League and elsewhere in Europe.
The 19-year-old’s admirers are acutely aware that his contract in Turin expires next summer and that could enable them to take advantage. Juventus are conscious of this and have already been talking to Iling-Junior’s representatives about a new deal.
Iling-Junior has shot to prominence at Juventus (Photo: Patricia De Melo Moreira/AFP via Getty Images)
Further negotiations are scheduled to take place imminently as they attempt to secure his longer-term future. With clubs enquiring about a move at the end of the season, Iling-Junior’s employers will hope they have not left it too late and can reach an agreement to retain the services of the Chelsea academy graduate.
Real waiting to hear where and when this season’s Club World Cup will be played
Real Madrid do not know when or where they will play in the 2022 Club World Cup, Dermot Corrigan writes.
Real qualified by winning the 2021-22 Champions League and are meant to be taking on the continental champions of Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Oceania in the FIFA-organised tournament.
Last season’s event, which was won by Chelsea, was played in Abu Dhabi in February but, despite reports suggesting the next event could take place in the United States in February 2023, Real sources told The Athletic they had not been told the date or the venue for the proposed tournament, with FIFA sources saying that the tournament details are yet to be confirmed.
Chelsea are the reigning Club World Cup champions (Photo: Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Generally, Real take the Club World Cup seriously and have won it a record four times — most recently in December 2018 in the UAE. They value the prize money, prestige and commercial opportunities the showpiece tournament presents.
In March 2019, FIFA announced an expanded version of the tournament, which would start in 2021 and be played in China, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused that idea to be postponed indefinitely.
This season’s football calendar has been squeezed by FIFA’s winter World Cup, making space difficult to find. Real are the only La Liga team that qualified for the Champions League knockout stages and are due to play their last-16 first-leg game on either February 14-15 or 21-22. They also have La Liga games scheduled for each weekend that month.
Carlo Ancelotti has regularly criticised the match calendar, which gives his Real players little time to rest and prepare for games. Should his side go deep into the Champions League, there would be very little space for any La Liga games postponed due to the Club World Cup to be rearranged before the season ends on June 4.
Saving Derby cost new owner close to £55m
The latest update from Quantuma, the insolvency firm that ran Derby County during their 10-month spell in administration, is a tough read, writes Matt Slater.
Filed at Companies House last week, the joint administrators’ progress report is 84 pages long and catalogues the fortune-sapping toll of running an English Football League club with Premier League aspirations and the staggering costs associated with rescuing one.
Under Quantuma’s control, Derby lost nearly £13million ($15m), despite sacking staff and selling their best young players. That was an improvement, if that is the right word, on the losses ex-owner Mel Morris incurred over his custodianship. The local businessman lost £250million in seven years, including a final write-off of £125million to facilitate Derby’s sale to David Clowes in July.
Clowes, another local fan made good, paid Quantuma just under £18million to take the now-League One club out of administration, which was on top of the £22million he had already paid Morris for Derby’s Pride Park stadium. Not that Morris saw any of it. He simply passed it on to MSD, the American private equity firm that lent Derby £20million in 2020, a sum secured against the club’s assets and personally guaranteed by Morris.
MSD also lent Quantuma £3.75million to keep the club afloat last season. That sum was repaid in full, too. As was almost £9million owed to “football creditors”. Under EFL rules, all debts to players, clubs and leagues must be settled if a club is to be allowed to continue in the league after insolvency.
Among others to have their IOUs paid off were the legal firms Quantuma used, Pinsent Masons (£1.2million) and Freeths (£300,000), and two consultants hired to help find a buyer for the club, Paul Aldridge (£200,000) and Jonathan Price (£100,000). None of these amounts include VAT. Clowes was found after months were spent trying to sell the club to American golf fan Chris Kirchner. The former “preferred bidder” is not mentioned once in the report.
MSD, the players, the lawyers and the consultants were the lucky ones. The taxman — ie, everyone else in the country — got only 25 per cent of the £25million owed, or just over £6million, while the various firms that supplied the club with goods and services over recent seasons also had to settle for 25p in the pound.
These settlements take the amount Clowes paid to save his club to closer to £55million — more of an act of love, then, than an investment.
And what of Quantuma itself? It fixed its costs for the job at just under £2million, including VAT, halfway through the job but claims to have done £3million’s worth of work. The firm partly blames this cost overrun on having to meet “the press on a regular basis to answer case-specific queries and provide progress updates”.
PFA secures £2.4m funding deal with EFL
The Professional Footballers’ Association has struck a new two-year agreement with the English Football League to guarantee the union £2.4million ($2.79m) of funding per season, writes Phil Buckingham.
The PFA had already secured its most important revenue stream in the summer when reaching a notable deal worth £24.9million with the Premier League.
That represented an uplift of £1.9million for the 2022-23 season and also allowed the players’ union a greater say in how that was spent for the first time.
Talks will resume in the new year over a long-term agreement with the Premier League but an extended deal is now in place with the EFL that will run through until the end of June 2024. It is understood the £2.4million a season is the same financial terms as the previous arrangement.
The PFA’s chief executive Maheta Molango, who took the reins from long-standing predecessor Gordon Taylor in June 2021, had made it a target to secure greater income for projects decided by the union. The funding is used by the PFA for projects such as education, coaching, player welfare and counselling work.
“This renewed agreement underlines the commitment that the EFL and the PFA have to our continued collaboration,” said Molango. “It helps deliver important services that benefit and support players across the professional game.”
(Top photos: Getty Images)
