Lionel Messi CONFIRMS move to Inter Miami CF… HOURS after rejecting Barcelona and Saudi Arabia

Lionel Messi has confirmed he will move to Inter Miami CF in a deal that reportedly includes an option for the Argentine to become part owner of the MLS squad.

There has been much speculation over the 35-year-old’s next move in recent weeks, with Messi closely linked with a move to both Saudi Arabia and Barcelona.

But he has finally made up his mind despite reportedly being offered a mammoth £2bn deal that would have allowed him to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

The World Cup winner has also been heavily linked with a fairytale return to his former club Barcelona, ​​but despite the financial struggles at the LaLiga giants, Messi has instead opted for a move to Inter Miami.

In an interview with Mundo Deportivo he said: ‘I’m not going back to Barça, I’m going to Inter Miami.’

Mail Sport understands that Messi, who won four Champions League titles with the Blaugrana and scored 672 goals in 778 appearances for the club, will be offered a lucrative contract with the MLS club, including deals with adidas.

ESPN also reports that its deal with the US side is a option that would allow him to become a co-owner of the football club and a portion of Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass subscriber revenue.

His father, Jorge, had reportedly met with Barcelona president Joan Laporte earlier this week, but it seems Messi did not want to return to his old club.

Speaking of rumors he could return to Barcelona, ​​the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner said: “I really wanted [to return to Barcelona]I was very excited to be able to return, but after experiencing what I went through and the exit I had, I didn’t want to be in the same situation again: wait and see what happened and leave my future in the hands of another.

“I wanted to make my own decision, thinking about myself, about my family. Although I heard it was said that LaLiga had accepted everything and that everything was fine for him to return, there were many other things that needed to be done.

‘I heard them [Barcelona] had to sell players or cut player salaries and the truth is I didn’t want to go through that nor be in charge of getting anything to do with it’.

“I’ve been accused of a lot of things that weren’t true in my career at Barcelona and I was already a bit tired, I didn’t want to experience any of that. And well, the time I had to leave, LaLiga also accepted that they signed me up and in the end it was not possible.

“Well, I was afraid that the same thing would happen again and I had to experience the bullfight as it happened, that I had to come here to Paris and stay in a hotel with my family for a long time, while my children went to Paris. to school and still in the hotel… I wanted to make my own decision and that’s why it was a bit that I didn’t turn to Barça. While I would have loved it, I couldn’t.

“I’m also at a point where I want to get a little out of focus, think more about my family. Like I just said, I spent two years on a family level that was so bad I didn’t enjoy it. I had the month that was spectacular for me because I won the World Cup, but it was a difficult stage for me to remove it.”

After 21 years with the Spanish club and winning 32 major titles, Messi moved to PSG in 21 on a major deal that would see him earn £35 a year.

The 35-year-old was “emotionally destroyed” by his departure from the LaLiga club after it emerged the club could no longer pay his wages amid financial turmoil, which despite winning LaLiga this season is still far from happening. dissolved.

In response to the news, Barcelona has released a statement in which President Laporta wished Messi well at his new club.

It reads: “On Monday 5 June, Jorge Messi, the player’s father and representative, informed club president Joan Laporta of the player’s decision to join Inter Miami, despite a proposal from Barça, given the desire of both FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi for him to wear blaugrana again.

President Laporta understood and respected Messi’s decision to compete in a league with fewer demands, away from the spotlight and the pressures he has been subjected to in recent years.

“Both Joan Laporta and Jorge Messi also agreed to work together to promote a fitting tribute from Barca fans in honor of a footballer who is, has been and always will be at Barca.”

Messi joined his former Barca team-mate, Neymar, and went on to score 32 goals in 75 appearances in all competitions for the Parisians as he won Ligue 1 twice in his two-year spell at the club.

His contract with the club officially expires on June 30, but it was already confirmed that he would leave the club.

A statement from Premier League football “We are pleased that Lionel Messi has declared his intention to join Inter Miami and Major League Soccer this summer.

“While there is still work to be done to finalize a formal agreement, we look forward to welcoming one of the greatest footballers of all time to our league.”

He now heads to Inter Miami, who are currently bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference League, and hopes Messi can help improve things at the Florida football club this season after they sacked their manager Phil Neville last week.

The arrival of the Argentine has also sparked excitement among Inter Miami fans, with ticket prices for their August game against New York Red Bulls rising by 1,400 per cent and now costing more than £241 ($300) per ticket.

More to follow…