Rumours about Lionel Messi’s future have been circulating for weeks, and they have only intensified since Paris Saint-Germain’s elimination from the Champions League on Tuesday. L’Équipe interviewed Jérôme Meary, a player agent between Europe and MLS who revealed that Lionel Messi has had discussions dating back to June 2021 with Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas, before he signed for PSG.
“He has clearly become Jorge Mas’s number one priority, the primary owner of Inter Miami. The first discussions date back to June 2021, before Messi signed with PSG,” explains Meary. “The talks resumed since then, with Jorge Mas spending a lot of time with Messi’s entourage during the World Cup in Qatar in December.”
Whilst the MLS is a closed league with salary constraints, MLS head Don Garber previously said how the league would need to be “flexible and creative” in order to attract Messi to the states.
L’Équipe also revealed certain factors which could attract the 2022 World Cup winner to a move over the pond, with theMLS continuing its development with a $2.5 billion (€2.3 billion) broadcast deal with the 2026 World Cup being held in the country seen as an opportunity to grow. Lionel Messi is also understood to be familiar with the US particularly Florida, where he regularly vacations and purchased a luxurious apartment in April 2021.
GFFN | George Boxall
About Author
