We’re going to be honest with you: Part of recapping a report on Lionel Messi’s future from a source of some record is about trying to will it into existence in order to save us all a summer of burnout.
The greatest player in modern soccer is set to leave Barcelona at some point, and Messi tried to get out of his deal this summer before walking away fro a court battle in order to save his beloved club the headache of being dragged through the mud.
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So is it possible that rather than a reunion with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, a reunion with Neymar at PSG, or a short stay elsewhere that leads to Messi and Suarez playing for David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
And, hey — Erling Haaland could arrive at the Camp Nou, too.
Messi’s all over the news this week, with PSG reportedly offering a three-year “unbeatable” contract offer and the Argentine apparently spending over $7 million on an entire floor of an apartment building a half-hour drive from Fort Lauderdale.
The good news for the Blaugranas is that the club’s presidential election saw Messi get a leader he likes — or at least doesn’t openly distrust — and Barcelona’s overcome a terrible start to the season and may just win La Liga.
So there’s some logic in the latest from Marca in Spain, which says that Messi may sign for two more years in La Liga before moving to the United States as a sort of brand ambassador (that is likely still bossing games and taking some sort of plane with his face on it to away games. Everything in this parenthesis is hypothetical).
The report says that Inter Miami is a favorite for his signature, which is notable in that City Football Group, which owns NYCFC and Manchester City, had reportedly offered Messi a five-year $830 million deal in August that included time in MLS.
So if he’s happy with the direction of Barcelona, it makes sense that Messi will continue his European adventure in Catalonia. It’s not just being comfortable with the club, but knowing how to maneuver through the city as one of the most famous faces in the world.
Could you see him playing in Miami for two seasons before retiring after a half season at childhood club Newell’s Old Boys? We could.
