Lionel Messi to Inter Miami: MLS club reportedly confident they can sign him, but where should he go?
With Lionel Messi’s PSG contract up at the end of the season, there’s no surprise that suitors are high for his services especially when he has an astonishing 12 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, but one of the suiters who keeps coming up would see Messi come to America. Inter Miami — owned by David Beckham — has been one of the teams circling around Messi along with Barcelona. According to the Athletic, Miami has growing confidence that their club will be the one that Messi chooses to play with next year. No decision is expected on Messi’s future until after the World Cup, which will be his last with Argentina, but as early as January he can sign a pre-contract agreement with another team.
Off the back of making the playoffs for the first time, Inter Miami are in a strong position to attract stars, especially with them finalizing purchasing Leonardo Campana from Wolverhampton and having another open Designated Player spot after the retirement of Gonzalo Higuain. This would leave the Herons likely with two open Designated Player spots which means they can spend whatever they want while only hitting the salary cap for $612,000. That would give them the funds to pay Messi while the new Miami Freedom Park complex will also provide the team with a home fit for a player of Messi’s stature.
Given the pull of Beckham and head coach Phil Neville along with Jorge and Jose Mas not being afraid to spend and Miami are a team that can come out of the blue for Messi raising the level of players coming to Major League Soccer. With Gareth Bale, Lorenzo Insigne, and Giorgio Chiellini already joining MLS, the quality in the league is growing but Messi would put it into the stratosphere.
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Why Miami for Messi?
This is a rumor that first cropped up in May as Messi would reportedly also acquire a 35% ownership stake in Miami, not too dissimilar to Beckham’s deal to join the Los Angeles Galaxy that included a buy-in for an expansion team which he triggered securing Miami. That stake, while it was denied by Messi’s agents, would be enough to push Miami’s salary offerings in line with what PSG could offer and likely above Barcelona’s offerings as well. Messi already owns a condo in Miami and the city also has a large South American population. As a sporting venture that would also bridge into Messi’s non-playing career when he finally decides to hang up his boots, there is a lot at play for Miami to be an attractive destination even if they can’t offer the European glory of other teams. He could also etch his name in their history by leading them to their first trophies if he was to sign there as well, which is an enticing chance for any athlete.
But don’t count out PSG
When asked about Messi’s future, PSG maintain that Messi is happy in Paris and that they’re also confident that they will be able to extend his contract. While that’s a boilerplate response, Messi’s current form sees him back to his Barcelona best after a subpar (by his lofty standards) 2021 season that only saw him score six league goals and assist 14 more. Almost eclipsing those numbers by the World Cup break this season under Christophe Galtier, why would Messi want to leave Paris? As of now, there’s unfinished business with the team still searching for a Champions League title, but an exit from PSG would only be on Messi’s terms if he sees something to be a more enticing offer. Miami could offer that but there’s another team that would also love to throw their hats in the wing after an unwanted parting of ways in the past.
A Barcelona reunion is always possible
It’s no secret that Messi didn’t want to leave Barcelona but the financial strain of his contract on the club was too high for there to be any other resolution that saw the club be under the La Liga salary cap. According to the Barcelona board, Messi’s return to the club is possible but it would be up to both Xavi and him. Joan Laporta has also stated that Messi’s chapter with Barcelona isn’t over, despite his two season absence from the club so far. Barcelona have already shown that they can create money when need to in order to balance their books, but they’ll need to prove that they can battle with Real Madrid as well this season. Laporta wants Messi to have a proper ending to his time with the club, but there are many factors at play for that to happen.
What destination makes the most sense?
It feels like this Champions League campaign is pivotal for Messi. If he’s able to win the World Cup with Argentina while also leading PSG to a Champions League title, it could not only see Messi back at the forefront of the Ballon d’Or race but it could also give him a clean break to leave PSG. With how many steps are involved in either a move to MLS or Barcelona, PSG would still be the front runners to retain Messi’s services, but if the part about an ownership stake in Inter Miami is true, that would be enough to make MLS a worthwhile destination. It’s hard to see Messi coming to MLS just for the play on the pitch, even with the strides that the league has made, but the total package could be just enough to make things plausible.
