Lionel Messi has shown he is willing to sign for Inter Miami when his contract with PSG expires on June 30, admitting that Barcelona’s currency turmoil has ended any hope of returning to Camp Nou.
Messi’s future career has been debated for much of the final season of his two-year contract at the Parc des Princes, with a fairytale return to Barcelona, a significant move to the Middle East and interest from MLS.
In a joint interview with Spanish media outlets Mundo Deportivo and Sport, Messi showed that his next destination would almost in fact be David Beckham’s team in Miami, and the club itself tweeted a video prompting the resolution minutes after it was posted.
Messi said: “I made the decision to move to Miami. I haven’t closed it one hundred percent yet. I still have a few things to do to continue on the path. If Barcelona went well, I would try to get out of Europe, hide from the spotlight and think more about my family. “
The Argentine’s former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets has also been strongly linked to a move to the club, but Messi insisted his decision was made for the benefit of him and his family, rather than as part of a meeting in the United States.
“I won offers from other European teams, but I didn’t even compare them, because my idea of moving to Barcelona and, if that didn’t happen, leaving European football after winning the World Cup was what I needed,” he said.
“Now I will finish my career in this country and I will live the MLS in a different way, enjoying the day to day much more, but with the same duty to win and doing things well but with more tranquility.
“I’m also at a time when I need to separate myself a little, think more about my family circle. I spent two years in a family circle so bad that I didn’t like it. I spent an impressive month. For me to win the World Championship, but withdrawing it is a complicated step for me. “
Messi showed Barcelona had taken steps for his return, but added that he was still injured by the way he left Camp Nou two years ago, which he said was not a resolution of his.
The threat of Barca’s ongoing monetary turmoil and restrictions on its movement activities were too much to handle, he added, and deliberately announced his next move before the summer for his own peace of mind.
He said: “I’m really excited to be able to come back [to Barcelona], but after going through what I went through and the exit I had, I didn’t need to be in the same situation again. I heard that they had to sell players or lower the players’ salaries and the truth is that I didn’t need to go through that, nor did I need to take care of getting anything to do with all this.
“LaLiga had given its agreement, but it is not true that the resolution was mine in terms of the return, because many things were missing. It’s a long summer where I don’t need to relive what I’ve already experienced.
“We have never even been able to communicate about a contract. A proposal was ignored, but never a formal, written and signed proposal, because there was nothing yet and we did not know if it was going to be imaginable or not.
“There is an intention, but we couldn’t present anything, we didn’t even officially communicate about the cash. If it had been a matter of cash, I would have gone to Saudi Arabia or somewhere else. I thought it was a lot of cash, and my resolution is for the other aspect and not for the money. “
Barcelona issued a statement saying the club had “presented” a proposal for Messi’s return that had been desired by both parties, before being informed of the player’s decision to travel to Miami.
President Laporta understood and credited Messi’s decision to want to compete in a league with less demand, more away from the spotlight and the tension to which he has been subjected in recent years,” the club reads.
“Joan Laporta and Jorge Messi have also agreed to work together to promote a true tribute from Barça fans to honour a footballer who has been, is and will always be enjoyed by Barça. Major League Soccer welcomed Messi’s decision. “I am glad that Lionel Messi has declared his goal of signing for Inter Miami and Major League Soccer this summer,” reads a statement from the organization.
“While there is still work to be completed to reach a formal agreement, we look forward to welcoming one of the greatest soccer players of all time to our league. “
Kaveh Solhekol, Chief Journalist at Sky Sports News:
“I had many other offers. Obviously we know that Barcelona were willing to re-sign him but, for monetary reasons, it’s going to be very, very difficult.
“It is also an open secret that Saudi clubs have made him offers, including Al Hilal, but his desire is to move to the United States. She has a space in Miami, which is where she would like to move right now. career.
“Just to put that in context, I think you can say that Lionel Messi will be the biggest call to play ‘football’, as it’s called in the United States, in the United States, since other guys like Pelé or George Best.
“Of course, David Beckham himself went to play for the LA Galaxy, Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time, just like Diego Maradona and Pelé.
“This is a hard blow for Inter Miami, who just two weeks ago fired their coach, Phil Neville.
“They have had problems in the MLS, lately they are at the bottom of their conference, but the offer they have made to Lionel Messi is the one he wants, and he will play for Inter Miami when his contract with PSG expires. He will be released very soon. “
Who will be moving this summer when the move-in window opens on June 14 and closes at 11 p. m. on September 1 in England and Scotland?
Stay up to date with the latest news and rumours about movements on our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ virtual platforms. You can also follow the ins and outs and do your research on Sky Sports News.