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Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas has responded to rumors that Barcelona captain Lionel Messi could join his club in the future after his time with the Catalan giants has ended
Messi is set to sign a contract extension at the Camp Nou that will see the Argentine spend the next two seasons with the Catalans and then head to Inter Miami for a spell before returning to Barcelona, according to Doble Amarilla.
Mas spoke to Michelle Kaufmann at the Miami Herald about the speculation and talked up the possibility of the Argentina international finishing his playing career with his team in Major League Soccer.
“David and I have been working really hard, we have aspirations of bringing the best players here and Leo Messi is a generational player, arguably the best player of all time,” he said. “I am optimistic Messi will play in an Inter Miami shirt because I think it will complete the legacy of the greatest player in our generation and will meet with the ambitions of the owners of Inter Miami to build a world class team.”
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Messi Buys Miami Property
Rumors of a Messi move to Miami have also been fueled by the forward’s decision to buy a luxury condo in Sunny Isles Beach, as reported by The Real Deal.
The Argentine, who already owns a unit at Porsche Design Tower, shelled out $7.3 million for the entire ninth floor at Regalia, a condo tower at 19575 Collins Avenue. Joe Pompliano offered a glimpse of Messi’s new pad.
Messi spoke about the possibility of a move to MLS back in December 2020 in an interview with La Sexta‘s Jordi Evole. He said, “”I would like to play in the United States someday, it’s always been one of my dreams … But I don’t know if it will happen!”
Beckham Talks Messi, Ronaldo Moves
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has also previously spoken about the possibility of luring top stars such as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to his club in an interview with Sky Sports in March 2021.
The former England captain said he thought the club’s fans would enjoy seeing some of the games biggest names playing for Inter Miami.
“I think that the fans would really appreciate that. But, you know, as owners, we want players here that are driven, that want to win, and that’s our priority. With [current players] Blaise Matuidi and Gonzalo (Higuain), these are players that we feel add to the glitz and the glamour of what the club is,” he said. “Going forward, we also want to bring other players in if we have the opportunity to bring some great names in, you obviously mentioned Leo (Messi) and Cristiano (Ronaldo). They’ve been at the top of their game for the last 15 years because of hard work.”
Yet Beckham will have to wait to bring Messi to his club. The Argentine is expected to extend his stay at the Camp Nou and has shown few signs of slowing down despite the fact he will celebrate his 34th birthday later this month.
Messi finished the season as La Liga’s top scorer again 2020-21 on 30 goals, some seven clear of nearest challengers Karim Benzema and Gerard Moreno. It’s the fifth season in a row that Messi has topped the scoring charts in Spain’s top flight.
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