LIONEL MESSI’S camp have broken their silence following reports the Argentina superstar is on the brink of a shock transfer to Inter Miami.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward, 35, is out of contract at the Parc des Princes at the end of the season.
As revealed by SunSport in September, Messi planned to decide his future after the World Cup – with at that stage no offers coming in from any club.
However, with Messi in Qatar, The Times reported the Argentina captain is set to complete a move to David Beckham’s MLS side.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, also linked with a return to Barcelona, would become the highest-paid player in MLS history if he joins Inter Miami.
However, Messi’s representative Marcelo Mendez has applied the brakes and played down the story.
Mendez told CNN: “It’s false, it’s fake news.
“There is no negotiation for Lionel to join Inter Miami next season.”
Messi already owns a luxury £7.25m apartment in Miami, and regularly holidays there with his family.
With the United States joint hosting the next World Cup, MLS would be eager to recruit Messi in order to further raise the profile of their domestic game.
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
Beckham, 47, has a direct link to PSG’s Qatari owners as an ambassador for the country’s World Cup.
While he also has an avenue to Messi through their respective adidas endorsement deals.
PSG could try to extend his staggering £1.2m-a-week contract – but the final decision will be up to Messi.
SunSport reported earlier this month that Inter Miami had entered talks with Cristiano Ronaldo.
And that could mean the superstar rivals could finally end up on the same team before they retire in a blockbuster starting XI.
But for now, Messi’s attention is on winning the World Cup with Argentina.
In his illustrious career, Messi has won 40 trophies with Barcelona, PSG and Argentina, including four Champions Leagues and the Copa America.
However, the World Cup is the one major honour that eludes one of the greatest players of all time.
Argentina started their campaign in Qatar with a shock 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia but the iconic No10 inspired them to a crucial 2-0 win over Mexico to kickstart their tournament.
