Fabrizio Romano has taken to his exclusive Daily Briefing column to address the recent transfer rumours involving inter Miami forward Lionel Messi and a potential loan move to a European club in the near future.
Messi is new to the MLS, but is already facing an extended period out of action as the club won’t be playing a competitive game again for some time after their recent playoff defeat.
The Argentina international is surely still good enough to play at the very highest level in Europe, but Romano insists this is not something currently on the cards, with the player simply focused on Miami.
Romano admits it would be romantic to see Messi back for a second spell at Barcelona, but he’s played down the speculation for the time being, insisting it’s normal for us to see stories and gossip involving such a big-name player.
“Fans have been asking me about the various press reports about Lionel Messi and a possible loan move to Europe as Inter Miami won’t be playing competitive football again for a few months, and we’ve seen players based in the US making similar moves in the past, such as David Beckham and Thierry Henry when they were playing there,” Romano said.
“However, I can honestly say that, for the moment, I have no info at all on Messi and a loan departure. Messi is focused on Inter Miami and there’s nothing else to mention right now. It’s normal to have speculation about such a big name, and of course things could change, but there’s no truth to current rumours about Barcelona, or any other club.
“Of course, I have to say I’d love to see Messi back at Barcelona again one day, that would be fantastic and a ‘romantic’ move, but at the same time, it’s correct to let him decide whatever he wants.”
Barca fans will be hoping and praying the situation could change, but for now it looks like a bit of a pipedream to see Messi back at the Nou Camp in their colours.