LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Lionel Messi has chosen to sign with Inter Miami, as Barcelona failed to secure a contract to bring the World Cup winner home.
On 30 June, Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain will officially expire. The club announced his departure prior to their final Ligue 1 match of the season.
Since then, speculation about the 35-year-old’s upcoming move has grown as Barcelona officially increases their efforts to get him back to Camp Nou.
In recent months, the Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal has also made a strong effort to capture Messi, but Guillem Balague has recently disclosed that he will be beginning the next phase of his career in America.
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With the aid of corporate partners Apple and adidas, Inter Miami has won the race to recruit Messi.
According to The Athletic, adidas has offered the World Cup champion a profit-sharing arrangement in order to enhance their long-term partnership. He will receive a portion of the earnings from Apple TV+’s MLS Season Pass.
Messi’s father acknowledged last week that his son preferred to go back to Barcelona, but their precarious financial circumstances finally prevented a contract from being finalized.
Since the beginning of the year, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba have all departed the team, but before Barca can recruit any new players, their pay cost must be drastically reduced.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner might make his Inter Miami debut on July 21 in a Leagues Cup matchup against Cruz Azul of Mexico.
Tata Martino, a former manager of Messi’s with Barca and Argentina, is now the front-runner to succeed Phil Neville, who was fired as head coach at the beginning of the month. Javier Morales is currently in charge of the team on an interim basis.
