David Beckham has reportedly set his sights on luring Lionel Messi to the MLS in a bid to promote his new franchise Inter Miami.
Messi’s current contract at Barcelona expires in 2021, with his buy out clause currently set at an astonishing £626 million – as per BBC Sport. The Argentina international has scored 523 goals in 602 appearances for the Catalan giants, having spent his entire senior career with the club.
The 31-year-old is a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, a four-time Champions League winner and an eight-time La Liga winner, with his place in history as one of the greatest players of all time having been cemented over the last decade.
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Messi is nothing short of a phenomenon, still capable of dismantling the sternest defences in European football with his incredible dribbling skills and finishing ability, even as he approaches the twilight years of his career in Spain.
It seems unlikely that he will leave the Camp Nou any time soon, however, that won’t stop other clubs bidding for his services in the near future, given his superstar status which could elevate the reputation of any team in the world.
According to the Daily Mail, one club prepared to launch such an audacious bid is Inter Miami in the United States, a newly formed franchise in Major League Soccer owned by former Manchester United star Beckham.
Inter are due to begin their journey into American soccer at the start of the 2020 MLS campaign and may look to Messi as a possible poster boy for their new venture.
It would take a huge bid for any club to tempt Messi away from Barcelona but there is a small chance he may fancy a new challenge in a different part of the world in the next few years, despite still being the captain and main man for the Spanish champions.
The diminutive striker has started the new La Liga season strongly, hitting four goals in his opening four matches as Barca have stormed to the top of the table with wins against Alaves, Real Valladolid, Huesca and Real Sociedad.